The town of Glen Echo, Maryland was chartered in 1904, but its development predates the charter by more than a decade. In late 1887, Edward Baltzley began buying up land in Montgomery County on the bluffs and hills overlooking the Potomac River Valley. By late 1888 he had acquired over 500 acres from the Cabin John Creek and extending past Naylor's Branch (near present day Walhonding Road). The acreage included Fairway Hills, Mohician Hills, Glen Echo Heights, all of what is now the town of Glen Echo, and much of what is  now Bannockburn.

Edward and his twin brother Edwin were intent on developing a luxurious, sub-urban, community of platial homes on the Potomac palisades. They opened a fantastic cedar log restaruant in July 1890 to bring visitors to the property, convinced that visitors simply seeing the land would sell it. The Pa-tow-o-meck cafe was an initial success, but caught fire and burned to the ground in 2-hours, less that 6 months after it opened.

Even during the bustle of opening a cafe, the brothers were planning for more attractions. Edwin's wife, Edith, was a member of the Washington DC banch of the Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Circle. Edith suggested that a summer Chautauqua at Glen Echo might bring even more visitors (and thereby sell more lots). The brothers agreed and began plans for a grand, and permanent, Chautauqua at Glen Echo. The Chautauqua was a great success for one season, but never reopened due to complex economic circumstances.

 Part of the Chautauqua plans included an assortment of small lots adjacent to the Chautauqua campus. The lots were primarily intended as camp sites for use during the Chautauqua season (June through August) and were under the jurisdiction of the Chautauqua organization. The lots were appropriately sized for cunstruction of a tent platform, to keep out of the summer mud, and perhaps an outhouse (though early plans were underway for a complete sewage system). Many lots sold that first season, with some people buying multiple adjacent lots with plans to build summer cottages. After the Chautauqua failed, lot sales ground to a halt, those lots that did sell sold at bargain prices. The Baltzleys completed the sewage system, hopeful of renewed interest in land sales.

 Over the following years, from 1892 until 1903, a number of families built cottages and moved in year-round, creating a growing community. Many of the residents worked at the fledgeling amusement park which was growing among the buildings of the Chautauqua campus. The Chautauqua had a Post Office for the 1891 season, but there are no records of one for the period from 1892 until 1897, when a Post Office was opened in one of the old Chautauqua buildings. Transportation was an impediment to growth, so the Baltzleys along with other Washington business men chartered the West Washington & Great Falls Electric Railroad Company and built a trolley line to Glen Echo along the Potomac River from Georgetown in DC. Taking advantage of the trolley line, Clara Barton, the founder of the Amerian Cross, moved to Glen Echo in 1897 where she lived until her death in 1912. Barton enthuastically endorsed Glen Echo as a healthy place to live, trying to dispel false rumors of rampant malaria.

 By 1904 residents had decided it was time to incorporate and the town of Glen Echo was chartered. Within a few years the town and the amusement park were locking horns, despite the fact that many town residents gained their livelyhood from the amusement park. Conflicts arose over water rights due to several years of severe droughts, and over Sunday activities at the park. The town filed complaints with the county about the park being open and offering amusements on Sunday in violation of local blue-laws. On one Sunday 110 people were arrested at the park including over 70 town residents.

The conflicts escalated until 1911 when the mayor of Glen Echo and several town councilmen got into a fistfight at which a gun was pulled over water use at the park. Ultimately the mayor resigned and moved to the nearby town of Kensington.

 Between 1900 and 1907 Clara Barton and her assistant Dr. Julian Hubble, purchased dozens of town lots from the Baltzleys, often staving off bankrupcy for the brothers. In 1903 the Baltzleys lost control of the amusement park property which was bought by the Washington Railway & Electric Company who had been managing the amusement park for several years by then. Trying to remain solvent in their other companies, the brothers continued to sell town lots, primarily to Barton and Hubble. Hubble inherited Barton's lots after her death in December of 1912, at that point he owned close to half of the town.

So you've pulled your sweaters out of mothballs and found your mittens at the bottom of the coat closet. But what about your house -- is it prepared for the cold months ahead?

You'll be a lot less comfortable in the coming months if you haven't girded Home Sweet Home for Old Man Winter.

With the help of several experts, we've boiled down your autumn to-do list to 10 easy tips:

1. Clean Those Gutters  
Once the leaves fall, remove them and other debris from your home's gutters -- by hand, by scraper or spatula, and finally by a good hose rinse -- so that winter's rain and melting snow can drain. Clogged drains can form ice dams, in which water backs up, freezes and causes water to seep into the house, the Insurance Information Institute says. 
As you're hosing out your gutters, look for leaks and misaligned pipes. Also, make sure the downspouts are carrying water away from the house's foundation, where it could cause flooding or other water damage.

"The rule of thumb is that water should be at least 10 feet away from the house," says Michael Broili, the director of the Well Home Program for the Phinney Neighborhood Association, a nationally recognized neighborhood group in Seattle.

2. Block Those Leaks
One of the best ways to winterize your home is to simply block obvious leaks around your house, both inside and out, experts say. The average American home has leaks that amount to a nine-square-foot hole in the wall, according to EarthWorks Group.

First, find the leaks: On a breezy day, walk around inside holding a lit incense stick to the most common drafty areas: recessed lighting, window and door frames, electrical outlets.

Then, buy door sweeps to close spaces under exterior doors, and caulk or apply tacky rope caulk to those drafty spots, says Danny Lipford, host of the nationally syndicated TV show "Today's Homeowner." Outlet gaskets can easily be installed in electrical outlets that share a home's outer walls, where cold air often enters.

Outside, seal leaks with weather-resistant caulk. For brick areas, use masonry sealer, which will better stand up to freezing and thawing. "Even if it's a small crack, it's worth sealing up," Lipford says. "It also discourages any insects from entering your home."

3. Insulate Yourself 
"Another thing that does cost a little money -- but boy, you do get the money back quick -- is adding insulation to the existing insulation in the attic," says Lipford. "Regardless of the climate conditions you live in, in the (U.S.) you need a minimum of 12 inches of insulation in your attic."

Don't clutter your brain with R-values or measuring tape, though. Here's Lipford's rule of thumb on whether you need to add insulation: "If you go into the attic and you can see the ceiling joists you know you don't have enough, because a ceiling joist is at most 10 or 11 inches."

A related tip: If you're layering insulation atop other insulation, don't use the kind that has "kraft face" finish (i.e., a paper backing). It acts as a vapor barrier, Lipford explains, and therefore can cause moisture problems in the insulation.

4. Check The Furnace
First, turn your furnace on now, to make sure it's even working, before the coldest weather descends. A strong, odd, short-lasting smell is natural when firing up the furnace in the autumn; simply open windows to dissipate it. But if the smell lasts a long time, shut down the furnace and call a professional.

It's a good idea to have furnaces cleaned and tuned annually. Costs will often run about $100-$125. An inspector should do the following, among other things: 

Throughout the winter you should change the furnace filters regularly (check them monthly). A dirty filter impedes air flow, reduces efficiency and could even cause a fire in an extreme case. Toss out the dirty fiberglass filters; reusable electrostatic or electronic filters can be washed.

5. Get Your Ducts In A Row 
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a home with central heating can lose up to 60% of its heated air before that air reaches the vents if ductwork is not well-connected and insulated, or if it must travel through unheated spaces. That's a huge amount of wasted money, not to mention a chilly house. (Check out this audit tool for other ideas on how to save on your energy bills this winter.)

Of course, windows are pricey. Budget to replace them a few at a time, and in the meantime, buy a window insulator kit, Lipford and Broili recommend. Basically, the kit is plastic sheeting that's affixed to a window’s interior with double-stick tape. A hair dryer is then used to shrink-wrap the sheeting onto the window. (It can be removed in the spring.) "It's temporary and it's not pretty, but it's inexpensive (about $4 a window) and it's extremely effective," says Lipford.

7. Don't Forget The Chimney 
Ideally, spring is the time to think about your chimney, because "chimney sweeps are going crazy right now, as you might have guessed," says Ashley Eldridge, director of education for the Chimney Safety Institute of America.

That said, don't put off your chimney needs before using your fireplace, Eldridge advises. "A common myth is that a chimney needs to be swept every year," says Eldridge. Not true. But a chimney should at least be inspected before use each year, he adds. "I've seen tennis balls and ducks in chimneys," he says.

Ask for a Level 1 inspection, in which the professional examines the readily accessible portions of the chimney, Eldridge says. "Most certified chimney sweeps include a Level 1 service with a sweep," he adds.

Woodstoves are a different beast, however, cautions Eldridge. They should be swept more than once a year. A general rule of thumb is that a cleaning should be performed for every ¼ inch of creosote, "anywhere that it's found." Why? "If it's ash, then it's primarily lye -- the same stuff that was once used to make soap, and it's very acidic." It can cause mortar and the metal damper to rot, Eldridge says.

Another tip: Buy a protective cap for your chimney, with a screen, advises Eldridge. "It's probably the single easiest protection" because it keeps out foreign objects (birds, tennis balls) as well as rain that can mix with the ash and eat away at the fireplace's walls. He advises buying based on durability, not appearance.

One other reminder: To keep out cold air, fireplace owners should keep their chimney's damper closed when the fireplace isn't in use. And for the same reason, woodstove owners should have glass doors on their stoves, and keep them closed when the stove isn't in use.

Check out CSIA'S Web site for a list of certified chimney sweeps in your area.

8. Reverse That Fan
"Reversing your ceiling fan is a small tip that people don't often think of," says Lipford. By reversing its direction from the summer operation, the fan will push warm air downward and force it to recirculate, keeping you more comfortable. (Here's how you know the fan is ready for winter: As you look up, the blades should be turning clockwise, says Lipford.)

9. Wrap Those Pipes 
A burst pipe caused by a winter freeze is a nightmare. Prevent it before Jack Frost sets his grip: Before freezing nights hit, make certain that the water to your hose bibs is shut off inside your house (via a turnoff valve), and that the lines are drained, says Broili. In climes such as Portland, Ore., or Seattle, where freezing nights aren't commonplace, you can install Styrofoam cups with a screw attachment to help insulate spigots, says Broili. 

Next, go looking for other pipes that aren't insulated, or that pass through unheated spaces -- pipes that run through crawlspaces, basements or garages. Wrap them with pre-molded foam rubber sleeves or fiberglass insulation, available at hardware stores. If you're really worried about a pipe freezing, you can first wrap it with heating tape, which is basically an electrical cord that emits heat.

10. Finally, Check Those Alarms
This is a great time to check the operation -- and change the batteries -- on your home's smoke detectors. Detectors should be replaced every 10 years, fire officials say. Test them -- older ones in particular -- with a small bit of actual smoke, and not just by pressing the "test" button. Check to see that your fire extinguisher is still where it should be, and still works.

Also, invest in a carbon-monoxide detector; every home should have at least one.

By Christopher Solomon of MSN Real Estate

realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13107899

Question: Why is it necessary to rake leaves off the lawn? 

 We spend a lot of time in fall raking leaves (or, if not actually raking leaves, then using leaf blowers, etc. for leaf removal). Is there a sound reason behind raking leaves pertaining to lawn health, or is it simply an aesthetic choice?