Talk:Lochearn, Maryland

It's funny to me that the US Census designated much of Liberty Road inside the beltway as "Lochearn". I grew up in this area, on Byfield Road, in Campfield Gardens, just two streets over from the original Lochearn development. Our house was built in 1953; Lochearn was a few years older. Jewish people were not allowed to buy houses in Lochearn when they were new, but they were permitted to buy in Campfield Gardens. Until I was in high school in the middle 1960's, I didn't know any Jews in Lochearn. Half of our street, and almost all of the homes built in our neighborhood later, were sold to Jews originally.

The first African -American family moved to Byfield Road in 1968. The family who sold the house was angry with the neighbors and sought to get even. For the next few years, African-American, Jewish and European-American Christian families all moved to the street. I was already in college, and lived out of town through part of the early seventies, but my parents never mentioned any hostility between races and things looked pretty stable. My parents moved in 1974. With me and my sister out of college, they had the money to buy a larger house. They sold to an African-American family, who, as of 2002, still lived there. Most of the Jewish families on the street moved away within months of my parents, although a few still remain.

I go back to see the street now and then. My important dreams all take place there. The neighborhood looks better. Many of the houses have been remodeled, and the trees are much bigger and prettier.

Barry Wendell —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.244.13.154 (talk • contribs).