Then

The brick building at 101 Summit Avenue was constructed as a U.S. Post Office around the end of the 19th century.  It features imposing columns on the front façade and a prominent bald eagle in the frieze.  There are three vaults remaining in the building, one of which still has all the original doors and combination locks.  A metal rung ladder leads from a utility closet to a windowless, doorless safe room, curiously located above the closet yet below the floor of the attic. Perhaps the mysterious sounds heard after hours and the occasional toilet-flush in an empty restroom are evidence of a former - and maybe current - occupant of the building?

Now

The building was turned over to the Washington County Commissioners in the late 1930s for use as an annex.  Some time in the 1960’s, the Cooperative Extension Service moved into the upper level.  In 1964 then-President Lyndon Johnson declared War on Poverty and started the Community Action movement.  A newly-formed Community Action Council took up residence in the lower level the following year.  In 1990 the Extension Service moved, and CAC took over the entire building.  The Board of Commissioners of Washington County deeded the building to CAC in September 2003.  Since then, nearly all customer services have been located to our handicapped-accessible upper level adjacent to the parking lot.

 In 2005, CAC celebrated its 40th anniversary.  There was no great fanfare, not even a cake or a press release.  CAC is content to go about its business of Helping People, Changing Lives.  There are about 1,100 community action agencies across the nation, and 16 in the State of Maryland, all dedicated to changing the lives of their neighbors in poverty.  As the county’s designated community action agency, CAC is dedicated to helping county residents become self-sufficient contributing members of the community.  The programs we offer can be seen throughout the annual report.

A United Way Agency