Question about DC/Bethesda zip code.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by kjg1963

In Googling, I saw a few old addresses with this 20014 zip. One was for NIH. The below link has an ad that references 20014 also (first square).
https://archive.lib.msu.edu/tic/golf.../1973apr63.pdf

Off topic - but that's pretty cool. As a golfer - Ed Ault designed a LOT of courses here in MD. Pretty much the majority of the MoCo public courses as well as BCC.

sweet find!

[Babe_Ruth]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

20015 exists in Chevy Chase-DC, the portion of the neighborhood that has always been in Washington DC. It's apparent your 20014 was a long-standing typo of 20814 that went unnoticed and/or not feasible to change in the pre-digital era.

Interesting theory.. but shortly after you posted, another poster linked a pdf with old 20014 Bethesda addresses. And I followed that a little to a similar 1973 (pdf) that had 'National Library of Medicine' based in Bethesda 20014.

Just can't figure out when it was phased out, but I think you're correct: 20814 absorbed some of the earlier 20014.

Does anyone specifically remember the old World Future Society building at 4916 St Elmo Avenue (20014) ?

[Moth]

Originally Posted by Babe_Ruth

Interesting theory.. but shortly after you posted, another poster linked a pdf with old 20014 Bethesda addresses. And I followed that a little to a similar 1973 (pdf) that had 'National Library of Medicine' based in Bethesda 20014.

Just can't figure out when it was phased out, but I think you're correct: 20814 absorbed some of the earlier 20014.

Does anyone specifically remember the old World Future Society building at 4916 St Elmo Avenue (20014) ?

My input ....

I grew up in DC in within the 20015 area code. The area, as someone else already stated, remains 20015 to this day. However, I remember that in the mid-1970s, my grandparents who resided in Bethesda also had 20015. This then confused kid asked why and "having the same post office" despite different municipalities/states was the answer. Nowadays they have their own.

"Towns" in suburban Maryland remain somewhat decentralized even today. My address is Kensingon while neighbors a block away are Bethesda. However, neither of us are under the auspicies of either town. We are an unincorporated area and the post office determines the town.

The Bethesda of that time was radically different than it is now. One or two steps up from Mayberry. The Metro opening there was a game changer that began the development that continues to this day. The place is more like Tysons now. As MoCo grew, zip code changes were needed.

Doesn't really answer your question, but maybe it will get you there. While I am sure I saw the building in question, I do not specifically recall it. Bethesda was largely low scale buildings then with a few Mid Century highrises. There were lots of fun places that are long gone.

[Babe_Ruth]

Originally Posted by Moth

My input ....

I grew up in DC in within the 20015 area code. The area, as someone else already stated, remains 20015 to this day. However, I remember that in the mid-1970s, my grandparents who resided in Bethesda also had 20015. This then confused kid asked why and "having the same post office" despite different municipalities/states was the answer. Nowadays they have their own.

"Towns" in suburban Maryland remain somewhat decentralized even today. My address is Kensingon while neighbors a block away are Bethesda. However, neither of us are under the auspicies of either town. We are an unincorporated area and the post office determines the town.

The Bethesda of that time was radically different than it is now..

Moth, thanks. This ^ does explain it. World Future Society had a physical location in sparsely populated, late '7os Bethesda, but must've had their mail routed thru a DC post office. I did notice they interchangeably used Washington DC & Bethesda in their address, so a shared post office would explain that.. I appreciate your input, because trying to figure how '7os Bethesda had an inner city DC zip had become an annoying itch to me..

Incidentally, I looked up their old St Elmo address on Maps, and it seems to have been replaced with a vertical apartment building.. I miss their old 'Futurist' magazines.

[Moth]

No problem Babe. Brings me back to the old days.