Dr. Perry’s Office

This stately brick Colonial Revival building at 7349 Wisconsin Avenue stands in contrast to the present-day stone and glass structures in Bethesda’ Central Business District. It is one of the oldest commercial buildings in the area and represents an important step in the transformation of Bethesda from country crossroads to modern urban center.

The advent of a streetcar line in 1891 and the opening of the B&O Railroad’s Georgetown branch in 1910 fueled commercial growth in once rural Bethesda. By the late 1920’s, the exploding popularity of the automobile, the growth of residential development, and the construction (next door) of the County Building housing courts and a police station made this an attractive site for a professional office.

In 1929, twelve years after establishing his practice in Bethesda, Dr. Benjamin C. Perry moved his medical office of the new building where he remained for many years. Dr. Perry had a distinguished career in community affairs, and was also Vice-President of Bank of Bethesda.

The building was later occupied by Dr. George Clendenin, Bethesda’s first dentist.

In the late 1970’s, Brooks Photographers moved into the building from their previous location further south on Wisconsin Avenue, and remained in the building until the early 1990’s.

After Brooks merged with Glogau Studios and moved to Kenwood, Mustard Seed, a vintage clothing store, took over the space, and was later followed by REMIX, another clothing reseller.

While the building has undergone cosmetic changes, such as window and signage replacement, the facade looks much as it did when it was completed 90 years ago.

(NB: At the end of May, 2019, REMIX left the location, citing construction disruptions. The building is currently empty. Several applications for listing on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places and/or the National Register of Historic Places have failed. Evidently neither the occupants nor the building made the cut as historically significant.)

See also: Maryland Historical Trust Determination of Eligibility Form for 7349 Wisconsin Avenue (2012)