09/09/2025
In 1906, four Black entrepreneurs—Charles Cuney, Alexander Satterwhite, Michel Dumas, and James Neill, collectively known as the “Belmont Syndicate”—acquired land in Montgomery County, Maryland, with the vision of building an upscale suburban community for African Americans adjacent to Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights . Promoted as “the only good subdivision in Washington where colored people are welcomed to buy,” the project attracted at least 28 Black buyers, including a Civil War veteran, a preacher, and members of DC’s Black elite .
But that promise soon unraveled. White residents of nearby neighborhoods responded with fear-mongering and threats. One local reportedly claimed the establishment of a “negro colony … would mean the impairment of our property values … a constant menace to our peace and security” . Even though there were no explicit racial covenants, the Chevy Chase Land Company—a powerful, white-owned developer—used legally neutral tools like deeds of trust and financial pressure to sabotage the project. These instruments prevented the Belmont Syndicate from releasing debt, effectively blocking further lot sales .
Despite venting lawsuits across jurisdictions, the Syndicate couldn’t save the development. In 1909, a court allowed foreclosure to proceed, and by 1926, Belmont was erased from legal records and rolled into Chevy Chase Section 1A, with only a street name—Belmont Avenue—as a faint trace of its existence .
Only in recent years has this bold, nearly forgotten story been acknowledged once more. A historical marker unveiled in 2024 in Friendship Heights honors the Syndicate’s ambition and challenges. Descendants of the original developers, including Felani Afrika Spivey, have praised the commemoration as an important step toward restoring their legacy—and even a symbolic form of reparative recognition .
In 1906, four African American men attempted to develop an elite suburb for African Americans along Wisconsin Avenue between Chevy Chase and Friendship Heights, Maryland. Despite facing intense hostility from adjacent white landowners, at least 28 people bought lots. However, their vision was ultima...
