[RP TownTalk] overhead imagery of Cafritz property and environs 1938, 1965, 1993 & 2000

[Dwight Holmes]

The photo now at the top of http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com was
taken in 1965, showing the Cafritz property at the top, and Riverdale
Park Town Center at the bottom -- and no East-West Highway.

I grabbed this and some other overhead photos of the Cafritz area from
the M-NCPPC website www.pgatlas.com.

Four images cropped and scaled identically from 1938, 1965, 1993, and
2000 are available via this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/dwightrholmes/CafritzPropertyAndTheParksFromAboveOverTime

Of note:
In the 1965 shot, you can clearly see the scars of the WWII
manufacturing town that occupied the site; you can also see the clear
line of the Trolley Line, which had at that time been recently
abandoned, I believe. Also, I see that there was a street that
occupied what is now the route of East-West Highway from west of the
tracks to Route 1 and on over to Queens Chapel - Adelphi. Does anybody
remember what the name of that street was? I'm guessing it was
Rittenhouse?

In the 1938 shot, notice that much of what was to become the WWII
manufacturing site, as well as what was to become the ERCO factory on
the east side of the tracks, is essentially barren land, at least
that's how it appears in the photo. Plenty of trees to the north in
what is now Calvert Heights, but most of what is now the wooded
Cafritz property was anything but at this time. Interesting.

Speaking of the ERCO factory (and adjacent airport), which spanned
what is now River Rd., there are some good photos and history of the
place here: http://www.airfields-freeman.com/MD/Airfields_MD_PG_C.html#erco
Thanks to Stuart Eisenberg for the link!

-- 
Riverdale Park Coffee House (blog only-BYOC)
http://rpcoffeehouse.blogspot.com/
~~
Tracking the Washington Nationals' 2007 season (will they catch the '62 Mets?):
http://tinyurl.com/2m6f43