Acorn Urban Park

I can’t add much to Libby’s excellent review, except that the summer home became a restaurant called Blair Mansion Inn (similar in concept to Mrs K’s) that closed in 2014. My visit was a bit of a walk down memory lane, as I lived in Silver Spring long before it was Sprung and wanted to grab a picture. I was saddened to see the spring dry and the park looking neglected, but glad to see that it hadn’t been paved over.

Quiet and small park

A little piece of Silver Spring History: This is all that remains of Francis Preston Blair’s summer home, «Silver Spring». You are probably more familiar with his winter home, the Blair House, which is now Obama’s famous «guest house» across from the White House.
This just may be the smallest park in the U.S. at just 0.12 acres. You read that right! In 1840, Blair discovered a mica-​speckled spring on his property, hence the name Silver Spring. In 1842 he built the acorn gazebo which has been restored over the sight of its discovery.
Now this little park is surrounded by high rise condos and is adjacent to the Discovery building adjunct building (formerly Caldor’s department store). It was the Caldor Company that commissioned the murals on the now Discovery building and they were the ones that paid to restore the gazebo and this tiny slice of Silver Spring history.
Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it off East West Highway, just down from the NOAA building on your right.