History

The story of B-CC IWLA

From fifteen founding members to one of the League's largest chapters.

  1. 1935October 1935The chapter

    The chapter applies for its charter

    Fifteen founding members apply to IWLA headquarters on October 23. For years they meet in members' homes, borrowed rooms and restaurants around Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

  2. 1949The land

    A worn-out farm

    Members buy a 366-acre farm south of Poolesville near the Potomac, with depleted soil and little farm value, and resolve to make it a model of conservation.

  3. 1990The grounds

    The Chapter House rebuilt

    After the original building is lost to fire, the Chapter House is rebuilt, keeping the old building's character.

  4. 2019The grounds

    The Big Pond Pavilion

    Volunteers build a 12 by 16 foot pavilion on the shore of the Big Pond.

  5. 2026TodayThe land

    624 acres

    Fields, forest, ponds, trails, ranges and a campground, and some members are the third generation of their families to belong.