Where was the town of "Thrift" Md.?

[buchanandrive]

Originally Posted by slowlane3

Yes- that was the "ABC Drive-in Theater" and the property has been used since the 70s as a commuter parking lot. A few years ago there were plans to build a small shopping center there, but the plans fell through.

One big difference in the area today, is that residents of the Route 210 corridor routinely go to Waldorf, MD now for major shopping. Waldorf has grown into a big regional hub city for shopping and dining (although it has no major industry or employment) and in the early 90s they connected it with Accokeek by a fast new highway. The little rinky-dink Livingston Square mall is now badly aged and practically forgotten.

I know the drive-in by the swan shopping center is now a park and ride but it looks like the theatre up the hwy, on the oxon hill/ ft. wash border, is still just a grassy field. I remember the screen was left up there for years after it was closed down. Is it really a commuter parking lot like the one by swan center?

[slowlane3]

Originally Posted by buchanandrive

I know the drive-in by the swan shopping center is now a park and ride but it looks like the theatre up the hwy, on the oxon hill/ ft. wash border, is still just a grassy field. I remember the screen was left up there for years after it was closed down. Is it really a commuter parking lot like the one by swan center?

Judging by the current bus timetables at Metro - Home page it appears they may have finally stopped using it as a commuter parking lot for metrobus riders. But it was such for a great many years, and on the printed bus timetables it was listed as "ABC Drive In" even after the theater was removed. It used be awkward because busses in the evening had a hard time turning across traffic to get in and out of it, which wasted riders' valuable minutes. Just a few years ago there was talk of building a small shopping center there, but the plans fell through. Across the highway from it until I guess the 1980s used to be "Kerby's Farm Market." The late Bertha Kerby gave many lectures to schoolchildren about local history and I think was either a major contributor or volunteer at Great Southeast Hospital.

Right in that area is also the henson creek hiker-biker trail. It's 5-1/2 miles long, paved, and follows alongside henson creek, starting at Temple hills road inside the Beltway, and then continuing south-westward, past the ice rink, then underneath highway 210 to the lower end of lower Oxon hill road. It was built during the 1980s by the parks and planning commission.

[AustinACorbin]

all this information is really cool to know. i am a grandchild of William Alton Gallahan III and Patrica Ann Gallahan (Denison).

[TIME MACHINE]

Amazing posts with some great information. This thread is worthy of a new post to keep the information alive.

I grew up in Fort Washington from 1976 all the way to the late 1990's. I attended Fort Washington Forest Elementary School and was also enrolled at Silesia Early Learning Center for after school care.

I have fond memories from those times, everything from eating at Shakey's Pizza at Livingston Square, the drive-in theaters, and all of my friends that lived on Taylor Avenue. I even remember our favorite hangout spot, which was called the "Community Market". It was a small store located in the shopping center where Trak-Auto and Dart Drug were located (the name escapes me at the moment). The market had some arcade games, slush puppies, and tons of garbage pail kids for sale. What else did a young kid need? We would always hang out at the store, grab dinner from Charlie's Pizza and even rented movies next door at Fort Washington Video. Those were the days!

Let's keep those memories coming. If anyone else grew up in the area, I'd love to hear about it.

[slowlane3]

YOU ALL NEED TO CHECK OUT THIS SITE https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftwashingtonmd

[TIME MACHINE]

That is a cool Facebook group, but I'm still waiting for approval to join. Geeez....whomever is in charge is SLOW.

Hopefully I get access because I have a ton of old photos that I can contribute.

[Joykins]

There's a Clinton group on Facebook too.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/149487501799474/