The iconic, colonial-style building that once housed a Sir Walter Raleigh Inn restaurant at 8011 Woodmont Avenue in downtown Bethesda is slated to become a pile of rubble in the coming months. This legendary steakhouse chain also had locations in Wheaton and Gaithersburg at its height of popularity. The current owner of the building now plans to demolish it, according to notices posted at the property.
In recent times, 8011 Woodmont has served as an unsuccessful (re)location for Bruce Variety, as a school, and for pop-up antique sales. Now it will be razed for a high-rise apartment building, the Artena Bethesda. Let's take a look back at this landmark building in the Woodmont Triangle over the years:
Since this is on the property of the proposed 14 story high Toll Brothers condo tower at 8008 Wisconsin, does this mean that project is getting built? Or perhaps the property is being used as construction staging for the much larger twenty story high 8000 Wisconsin tower called the Artena?
ReplyDeleteI noted that the current site plan approval documents for the Artena were not prepared by SK+I, which was the architect involved in the Sketch and Preliminary Plan’s, so it looks like the owners of that project have switched architects. Maybe that’s why the project was delayed. The design looks to be unchanged.
It's amazing how far the culinary scene has come. Sir Walter's was, at the time, a top destination for a night out and was among the best restaurants around. I remember this one and the Wheaton location well. What will this become? A large building no doubt. Too bad.
ReplyDeleteWoodmont Triangle, as we knew it, is indeed disappearing.
Just another Big New Apartment Building 2 to 3 blocks down the street from my Apt Building in Bethesda ! Nothing out of the ordinary. It will be a NEW High-Rise Apartment Building called Artena Bethesda and will be built right up against 8001 Woodmont so the Sapphire Cafe will have to go !
ReplyDeleteOh and because it’s being built right up against 8001 Woodmont the people currently living there won’t be very happy because construction noise and vibration will be very intense during the day !!
@7:41 I'm right there with you. I was a kid/teen in the 1970s and early '80s, and recognized full well Sir Walter Raleigh's was not Sans Souci --nothing fancy, by any means. That never stopped me from thoroughly enjoying wolfing down a giant lump of their sirloin, cooked perfectly every time my folks or grandmother took me to the steakhouse.
ReplyDeleteTimes were simpler, more provincial, absolutely. But the memories seem far sweeter than those being made these days.
1015 took the words out of my mouth
ReplyDeleteAs a kid in the 70s big night out for the family was Sir Walter
Sirloin steak and endless salad bar for mom and dad and 7 kids
It was affordable and joyous
Those were the best days of Bethesda
Very little crime where the middle class could afford tobuy a home
9:57 AM
ReplyDeleteDo you think those folks living at 8001 Woodmont expected the adjacent and vacant one-story retail space would remain forever? Anyone who buys a condo or rents an apartment in an urban area should be well aware that more developments nearby are likely.
Of course most of these new towers have very large and tall retail spaces on their ground levels, so retail is not really being displaced, its being improved. Not sure anyone should mourn the lost of a nasty one story high wood framed junk shop, with day-glow orange trim, or old and unimproved dive bar or retail space from the 1970’s.
I agree with you. The current brick building facade looks very 1950 ish so it's just got to go !!!! Just not in step with modern times........
ReplyDelete