The Changing Face of Takoma Junction

by Diana Kohn

Carnivals like this one were an annual occurence in Takoma Park in the 1930s. Can you guess where the carnival was located? A Takoma Journal headline from June 21, 1935, explains: "Carnival Week Starts July 29; To Be Held at Manor Circle."

The Volunteer Fire Department used the empty space next to the new fire station for their annual fundraiser.

This corner of town, which we call the Junction, has seen its share of comings and goings in the decades since General Samuel Sprigg Carroll first built his Manor House here following the Civil War. After Takoma Park was incorporated in 1890 this intersection became the outer residential edge of the new suburb. The arrival of the Adventists at the turn of the 20th century, and their focus on Sligo Creek for a college and hospital, made the Junction more of an epicenter. Trolleys passing through on their runs to Sligo Creek provided a link from the train station (now the Metro station). The construction of the Fire Station in 1928, and its subsequent role in community gatherings, prompted the development of a row of retail and commercial stores on one side of the Junction. Next came a Safeway grocery (now the Co-op) and a gas station (now the art deco pavilion).

A revitalization in the 1980s added new sidewalks and the Jim Colwell mural to the pavillion. A depot for trash collection became what is now a City parking lot. The intersection also was given its current name, Takoma Junction. The Co-op arrived in 1998, and a series of taskforces were convened to offer new ideas, none of which materialized.

Now the Junction is again the subject of citywide interest as the City Council considers potential 21st century changes. As a new future is debated, this Photo Album offers a look back at the changing face of the intersection where Ethan Allen meets Carroll Avenue.