Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission

the PreservationistFall 2001

Hot Off the Press: Illustrated

History of County Historic Sites
Montgomery County northern, British and German, rural and
PLACES from the
preservationists have long known
about the county’s rich heritage,
metropolitan. Situated in a state just south of
the Mason-Dixon line, the county is yet heavily
PAST: and now information and photos
have been compiled into a
influenced by the north. Early settlers from the
mid-18th century were English and Scottish
The Tradition of Gardez Bien comprehensive book about our tobacco planters who migrated from the
in shared architecture and history. Chesapeake and established staple crop
Montgomery County, Maryland
Places from the Past: the Tradition of plantations dependent on slave labor. In the late
Gardez Bien in Montgomery 18th and early 19th century came farmers from
County is a beautifully illustrated heavily Germanic areas of Pennsylvania and
publication with photographs, northern Maryland, who established family-
architectural drawings, and maps operated diversified farms growing wheat and
and includes both a 370-page book corn and raising cows and pigs.
and a pull-out map of historic
After the nation’s capital was carved in part
sites. Gardez Bien is the county
from Montgomery County land in 1791, a
Author Clare Lise Cavicchi motto adopted in 1976, meaning
metropolitan force began to shape a new duality
dedicates her new book to to guard well or take good care. The book is
in the previously rural landscape. Wealthy
property owners and citizens dedicated to property owners and citizens who,
Washingtonians, including high-level
who have protected historic through their hard work and commitment, have
government officials, established country estates
sites for the enjoyment and protected historic sites for the enjoyment and
in the county by the early 1800s. Later in the
education of present and education of present and future generations.
century, railroad and streetcar lines radiating
future generations. Author Clare Lise Cavicchi documents the from the city brought new communities
history of architecture and community planning populated by middle-class white-collar workers,
in Montgomery County and presents an many of whom hailed from the north.
inventory of historic sites and districts. The first
In This Issue: Places from the Past will be available at the M-
section of the book is a series of essays on
NCPPC publications desk at 8787 Georgia
• Emancipation Day building traditions, housing types, and
Avenue, Silver Spring; online at [Link]-
celebrated. Page 2. outbuildings. The remainder of the work is a
[Link]/historic; or by phone: 301-495-4610.
geographically organized inventory containing
The publication will also be available at local
• 2002 Preservation descriptions and photographs of every
bookstores and museums.
Grants Awarded. designated historic district and site in the
Page 3. county. Cavicchi, M-NCPPC historic
preservation planner, has been researching Book Signing Reception
• Maryland to fund historic resources in Montgomery County since Wednesday, December 5, 2001
survey of state-owned 1989. For this publication she draws upon her
5 p.m.
own research as well as the wealth of material
historic resources.
developed by other researchers over the years. Strathmore Hall
Page 3.
Montgomery County has an architectural 10701 Rockville Pike
• Tax credit reminder. legacy spanning over 250 years. Its abundant North Bethesda
Page 4. character stems in large part from the dual
All are welcome!
nature of this border county located in a border
state. Building traditions and settlement RSVP 301-563-3400
patterns in the county are southern and
 Historic Preservation Oakley Cabin in Brookeville. Helping to
News and Notes celebrate the freeing of slaves in Maryland on
November 1, 1864 by the new state constitution
Maryland Emancipation Weekend were reenactors from the 54th Massachusetts
Montgomery County celebrated the freeing of regiment, Montgomery County Planning Board
the slaves in Maryland with a two-day event in Commissioner John Robinson, and the Emory
November. On November 3, the contribution of Grove Men’s Choir. Costumed docents gave
local Quakers to the abolition movement that hearth cooking and basket weaving
led to emancipation, and their secret work in demonstrations, and volunteers from the Friends
helping slaves to escape on the Underground of Oakley Cabin and the Underground Railroad
Railroad, was honored with a hike on the new led tours of the Cabin. Hot cider and cornbread
Rural Legacy Trail–a one and a half mile trail were enjoyed by all.
from Woodlawn Manor to the “sandy spring” Montgomery County Birthday
and the Town of Sandy Spring. Montgomery Good weather seems to always attend the
County Planning Board Chairman Art Holmes celebration of our county’s founding . The
Celebration of welcomed more than 150 visitors to Woodlawn annual celebration of “Happy Birthday
Emancipation Day included and the trail. He was followed by Elisa Carbone, Montgomery County” on September 9th was
a basket weaving author of Stealing Freedom, a historical novel cosponsored by the Historic Preservation
demonstration at Oakley based on an actual successful slave escape from Commission and held at the headquarters of the
Cabin in Brookeville. the area. Then the audience was regaled with Montgomery County Historical Society in
the exploits of Anthony Cohen, who walked a Rockville. Twenty organizations had booths at
route of the Underground Railroad from Sandy the event which was attended by “Rose O’Neal
Spring to Canada and wrote The Underground Greenehow” and “Josiah Henson” along with
Railroad in Montgomery County. The crowd then the modern visitors. Proclamations
dispersed to either walk the trail, or take a free commemorating the day by the State Senate
shuttle bus to the Sandy Spring Meeting House and House of Delegates were read by elected
where the members of the Friends Meeting officials, and County Council member Blair
refreshed them with cider. The day ended at the Ewing cut the birthday cake.
Sandy Spring Slave Museum and African Art
Gallery on Brooke Road where Ribs-on-the-Run Smart Codes
supplied lunch and members of the Archie The Maryland Department of Housing and
Edwards Blues Foundation played wonderful old- Community Development has established a
time music on the banjo and harmonica. technical assistance Hotline for users of the new
Maryland Building Rehabilitation Code. The
Maryland Emancipation Day new Code, which took effect throughout
About 250 people attended the 5th annual Maryland on June 1, 2001, establishes the
Maryland Emancipation Day, November 4 at Construction Code requirements for
rehabilitation projects for all buildings over 1
the Preservationist
The Preservationist is the official publication of the Montgomery County Historic
year old. The hotline will provide assistance on
how to use the new Code through the toll-free
telephone number and e-mail address listed
Preservation Commission, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Phone: below. The Hotline service will operate from
301-563-3400. Statements herein do not necessarily reflect the official policies of 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. You
the Commission. Created by the Historic Resources Preservation Ordinance
(Chapter 24A, Montgomery County Code) the Commission is responsible for can visit the Smart Codes website at
identification, designation, and regulation for purposes of protection, preservation, [Link] for additional
continued use, and enhancement of sites and structures of historical, archeological, information.
architectural, or cultural value. Commission members are appointed by the Mont-
gomery County Executive and confirmed by the Montgomery County Council. Hotline toll-free number: 1-866-424-6269
Commission Hotline e-mail: mdrehabcode@[Link]
Steven Spurlock AIA, Chair SusanVelasquez, Vice Chair
Steven Breslin Douglas A. Harbit Nancy Lesser
Julia O’Malley Lynne B. Watkins Kimberly Prothro Williams
Historic Preservation Coordinator Gwen Wright
Requests to be on the mailing list and content information
should be directed to the Commission.

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2002 Historic Preservation Grants
The Historic Preservation Commission voted on • Montgomery
October 24th to award $30,000 in matching Preservation, Inc. will
grants to 13 county nonprofit groups for a be again hosting the
variety of projects that will increase public annual Preservation
awareness of our county’s history, protect our Awards Reception in
county’s heritage resources, and promote the the spring, creating an
preservation of historic structures. The funding “Endangered Site” list,
is limited to non-capital projects and all of the and presenting the
projects must be completed before December 31, Montgomery Prize to a
2002. worthy recipient.
• The Town of Brookeville will be creating a • Peerless Rockville
restoration plan for the historic school house in has a new research
the town an putting up three historic signs—one project—to study the architectural and Warren Historic Site,
for the schoolhouse, one for the “angel” historical themes of 20th century Rockville. Not Martinsburg, Maryland
sculpture, and one for the mill wheel on the much investigation has been done previously of
Brookeville Academy grounds. structures from the recent past, and this project
will provide a reference for further research, Money Appropriated to
• The Glen Echo Park Foundation is doing a
public planning, preservation, and educational Survey State-Owned
video on the 1921 Dentzel Carousel located in
activities. Historic Resources
the Park. The HPC grant will be funding the
“interview with Mrs. Dentzel” part of the video • The Town of Poolesville is accepting its first The Maryland Historical Trust
is working with state
which will be filmed at Mrs. Dentzel’s home in HPC grant to create a preservation plan for the
agencies to award $750,000
California. historic cemetery at the Old Town Hall, in grants from a special fund
previously a Methodist Church, built in 1826.
• The Historic Medley District will be created this year by the
continuing their project of surveying all of the • “Preserving Oral History” is the funded Maryland Legislature to
historic structures and districts in their area that project of the Sandy Spring Museum. They will finance the identification,
evaluation and
have not been previously researched, and produce six oral history video tapes,
documentation of state-
conducting workshops to train researchers. accompanied by written biographies, and owned cultural resources.
pertinent historical information about the
• Historic Takoma has been awarded a second Urgent priorities and clearly
people being interviewed. defined projects will receive
grant to continue to conduct and transcribe oral
histories of long-time local residents. The • The Silver Spring Historical Society, with first consideration. A grant-
funded survey will look at
questions, protocol, and background booklets the help of Walter Gottlieb and Final Cut
buildings, structures, objects,
they created for the four interviews they Productions, will be making a video entitled archaeological sites, cultural
conducted last year have served as a prototype “Silver Spring: A Sense of Place in the traditions and heritage
for other groups doing similar projects. Suburbs.” This 30-minute documentary film will landscapes. The current
use historical photographs and modern imagery survey indicates that there
• The Lincoln Park Historical Foundation
to depict the history and historic structures of are almost 2,000 historic
produced a wonderful map/brochure last year
this urban area. structures owned by the
describing the African American Historic sites state, including such well-
in Montgomery County. The HPC has awarded • The Loving Charity Hall is the focus this known buildings as the
a grant to do further research, make corrections, year of the newly independent nonprofit Pikesville Armory (state
and reprint this popular publication. Warren Historic Site Committee. The Hall is police barracks), and lesser
about to fall down and if it does we will no known structures scattered
• This past year the Montgomery County
longer have an African American community in throughout state parks. In
Historical Society began leasing the Waters
the state of Maryland with its original three Montgomery County the
House in Germantown from M-NCPPC. Their
structures: the church the school, and the social state owns Black Rock Mill,
plan is to make the house, barn and grounds into Clopper Mill ruins, Seneca
hall. The HPC grant will help to finance the
a historical resource center. Their grant is to Church, Seneca Quarry
rehabilitation plan for the Hall.
produce a brochure on the Waters House and Masters House, Howard
the History Resource Center. Chapel Cemetery and the
Howard family Cemetery,
among others.

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 Calendar December 2001 19 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO
2 5th Annual Waters House Tree Lighting Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.
from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the historic Waters Call 301-563-3400. [Link]
House, Royal Crown Drive and Milestone
January 2002
Manor Drive in Germantown. Santa on a horse-
drawn wagon, hot cider, carol singing. Call 301- 9, 23 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO
762-1492 or visit [Link]. Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.
Call 301-563-3400. [Link]
5 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO Auditorium,
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Call 301-563-
3400. [Link]
11 Maryland Historical Trust capital grant State Tax Credit Information
workshop. 10 a.m. to noon at the Department of The Maryland Historical Trust has updated
Housing and Community Development, 100 its website list of “Frequently Asked
Community Place, Crownsville. For information Questions” about rehabilitation tax credits
call Claudette Sherman at 410-514-7633 or offered by the state. Tax credit application
write Sherman@[Link]. materials and the recently released tax
4-Jan. 6 The historic Beall-Dawson House in credit brochure can also be found at this
Rockville will be decorated in old-fashioned site.
holiday style and open for holiday candlelight You can access this site at
tours on Tuesdays through Sundays, 12:30-4:30 [Link] under the
p.m. 301-762-1492. [Link] “tax credit” section.
8 & 9 Candlelight Tours of the Bussard For additional information, call the
Farmhouse at the Agricultural History Farm Office of Preservation Services at 410-514-
Park, 18400 Muncaster Road, Derwood; noon to 7627.
8 p.m. For information call 301-670-4661 or visit
[Link]/fg.

Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission

8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Support Acknowledged: This publication has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, made available through the
Maryland Historical Trust, a division of the Department of Housing and Community Development, State of Maryland. However, the contents and opinions do not necessarily reflect
the views or policies of these agencies. Nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation by these agencies.
Non-discrimination: The Montgomery County historic preservation program receives Federal funds from the National Park Service. Regulations of the U.S. Department of the
Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any person who believes he
or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operation by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director of Equal Opportunity Program, U.S.
Department of the Interior, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC., 20013-37127.