A neighborhood of post war cape cods colonials ramblers and split levels. Oakview is located in a convenient area of Silver Spring, inside the beltway and approximately 2 miles to the Washington, D.C. border. Oakview is bordered by Northwest Branch Park, the Beltway, New Hampshire Avenue and Stateside Drive. There are 692 Single Family Homes in Oakview. Oakview has the most affordable single family homes in Silver Spring that are located INSIDE the Beltway!
Oakview can also boast of a newly constructed "state of the art" Montgomery County Elementary School built in 2005. Roscoe Nix Elementary School
Oakview has the Beautiful Northwest Branch Park as a natural Border. The park offers hiking, biking and running. The part of the park that borders Oakview has a large Northwest Branch Stream running through it.
Early Oakview History
Late in the Civil War, a Mr. W.W. Rapley purchased some 382 acres of forest land, which covered all of present day Oakview from South Dilston Rd to what are now the Xaverian College grounds. The land was gradually cleared during the latter half of the nineteenth century and planted with crops of wheat, corn , hay and grain. A large house, surrounded by magnificent oaks, was built in the area of Cahart Place. These oaks remain as one of the reminders of the past.
In the late nineteenth century, Washington's "400" could be seen on many Saturday nights driving up to the mansion in sleek black carriages, via a winding path, now known as Avenel Road. After the Rapley family purchased an interest in the old National Theater , stage personalities joined the high-ranking government officials at the gala events held at the Rapley home.
By the turn of the century, cattle roamed the fields and some 50 thoroughbred horses graced the many barns surrounding the mansion. A small racetrack was built in the general area around South Dilston and Braddock Roads. The land south of the Rapley Esates was part of a track called "Hard struggle" and had been purchased late in the 19th century by Mr. W.R. Smith. A Scotsman of the Cameron clan, he named the area "Cameronia" and built a house which was burned several years ago. Mr. Smith planted some exotic trees of which still remain.
Each Spring, the rolling fields of Cameronia became a mecca for picnickers who followed Sligo Creek to Carrol Avenue, then over to Brown's Corner (Piney Branch & University Blvd). The more adventurous continued on the path along Piney Branch to Avenel Road. Many hiked as far as the large barn on the top of the hill (site of Good Shepherd Methodist Church) from which they could survey the Rapley farm. Some even wandered down to the track to watch the horses perform over the steeplechase hurdles.
The beginning of modern Oakview took place shortly after the end of World War II. One of the many picnickers, a Mr. Ernest Brandt, decided to make this area his home and approached Mr. James Hyslop, who had purchased Cameronia in 1918. Although Mr. Hyslop did not wish to split one acre, he agreed to sell 12 acres which were duly purchased by Mr. Brandt and nine other WWII veterans living in Silver Spring. The plot was divided into relatively equal sections and the ancestor of the OCA meeting took place in the Brandt home for the purpose of dividing the area. The ex-soldiers cleared the heavily-wooded area and named their street "Stateside Drive".
In 1948 the Light Construction Company purchased the entire Rapley tract and the bulldozers began constuction of the Oakview subdivision. The first houses extended on both sides of Oakview Drive, which was paved down to Braddock Road. Although paving ended here in 1950 houses were built on either side of Dilston Road running north from what is presently Oakview Drive to what was to become Moffet Road. The rest of the story is too well known to need retelling. The rapid building of the remaining houses, the birth of OCA, the fight for school bus service and numerous other activities made Oakview what it is today.
This is a condensed version of an article written by BERNIE LIEB (ex-Citizen Editor 1956, 1957; OCA President 1957-1958)
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