PLEASE NOTE: The MCHS Museums and Library will be CLOSED September 4-6, 2010 for Labor Day weekend. 

Beall-Dawson Historic House Museum                 

The Beall-Dawson House was built circa 1815 for Upton Beall and his wife and daughters.  Beall, from a prominent Georgetown family, was Clerk of the Court for the county, and he wanted a home that would reflect his wealth and status. In 1815 Rockville was a small rural community, despite being the county seat and an important cross-roads town. Beall’s large brick Federal-style home, built overlooking Commerce Lane (now West Montgomery Avenue), was designed to impress both inside and out.

Beall’s daughters lived in the house their entire lives, and were later joined by a cousin, Amelia Somervell Dawson, and her family.  The house remained in private hands until the 1960s, when it was purchased by the City of Rockville and became the Montgomery County Historical Society’s headquarters.

Today, although all but one of the outbuildings are gone, the house itself still contains most of its original architectural features, including the indoor slave quarters located above the kitchen.  The museum is furnished in the style of the early 19th century, and the tour interprets the lives of both the upper-class white family and the enslaved African Americans who lived here, as well as life in 19th century Rockville.  Two rooms on the second floor are used as changing exhibit galleries, showcasing the Historical Society’s collections. Click here to find out about the current exhibit.

Dining Room
A highlight of the dining room is the tall-case clock, original to the house, made ca. 1805 by Jesse Hayden. The clock face is inscribed with the maker’s name, followed by “Rockville.”

Getty Bedroom
The bedroom is furnished in the style of the mid 19th century, in contrast to the earlier Federal style furniture found downstairs. The room also showcases many Beall and Dawson family photos, and other decorative arts pieces such as an early Victorian hair wreath.

Parlor
The parlor was a public space, used for entertaining guests. One of its features is the beautiful Adams style mantelpiece, original to the house.

Front Hall
The front hall of the Beall-Dawson House is characterized by the elegant symmetry typical of Federal style homes. The room functioned as both an entryway and a living space.

Kitchen
When the Davis family renovated the house in the 1940s, they built themselves a modern kitchen addition and turned the old dirt-floored kitchen into a dining room. The original function of the room is still reflected in the massive scale of the fireplace.

Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine

This one-room doctor’s office was built in 1852 for Dr. Edward Elisha Stonestreet of Rockville, who had just graduated from the University of Maryland medical school; he served as one of the town’s doctors until his death in 1903. During the fifty-one years of Dr. Stonestreet’s practice, medical knowledge and technology underwent many radical changes.  The Stonestreet Museum displays medical and pharmaceutical tools, furniture, and books from the 19th and early 20th centuries, showing some of these changes.

The office was originally situated in the front yard of the Stonestreet home on East Montgomery Avenue. Some years after the doctor’s death the office was moved to the Rockville fairgrounds (now Richard Montgomery High School), and it was thus spared demolition during the city’s urban renewal project in the mid 20th century. In 1972, Dr. Stonestreet’s office was donated to the Montgomery County Historical Society and moved to the grounds of the Beall-Dawson House.

On the second Sunday of each month, first person interpreter Clarence Hickey portrays Dr. Stonestreet for the regular tours.

Location
111 West Montgomery Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850

Hours and Tours
Open Wednesday-Sunday, 12:00-4:00 for self guided tours. 
Guided tours available Friday-Sunday at 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, and 3:15.
Closed major holidays.

Please note: the Beall-Dawson Historic Park follows the Montgomery County Public School inclement weather closure schedule.  If the MCPS is closed due to inclement weather, so is the Beall-Dawson Historic Park.

Fees
Adults: $5
Students and seniors: $3
Children under 6: free
MCHS members: free

What You'll Find
A visit to the Rockville campus of the Historical Society includes a tour of both the Beall-Dawson House (including any special exhibits) and the Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine. Our tours are docent-led, and generally last 45 minutes to an hour; no tours are begun after 3:30 (3:15 during December). For groups of 8 or more people, please schedule tours in advance by calling our administrative offices at (301) 340-2825.
Summer visitors please note: the Beall-Dawson House is not air-conditioned.
The Rockville campus is also home to the Jane C. Sween Research Library, our main research facility.

Access
The main part of the Beall-Dawson House first floor is reached by several steps.  Non-motorized wheelchairs can be conveyed into one of the first floor rooms, and the museum shop.  The second floor is not handicapped accessible, but notebooks explaining the second floor tour and any special exhibits are available for anyone who cannot make it up the stairs.
The Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine has three steps leading up to the door; most of the one-room museum is visible from the entrance, however.
The Rockville campus does have a handicapped accessible restroom, available in the research library.

Directions
Directions to the Beall-Dawson Historical Park from Route 355:

Going north on Route 355, turn left on East Middle Lane, cross North Washington Street and go 1.5 blocks. Just past the intersection at North Adams Street our parking lot will be on the left.  

Going south on Route 355, bear right on North Washington.  Turn right on Middle Lane at light, just past the intersection at North Adams Street our parking lot will be on the left.

Directions to the Beall-Dawson Historical Park from Route 270:

Take the Route 28 exit east towards downtown Rockville.  Turn left at the light at Great Falls Road and stay on West Montgomery.  Turn left onto North Adams Street and then make the next left onto Middle Lane.  Continue up the block and enter our parking lot on the left.

Directions to the Beall-Dawson Historical Park from the METRO:

Take the Red Line to the Rockville Metro.  After the turnstile make a left out the gate and proceed up 2 flights of stairs to the walkway (over Hungerford Drive).  Proceed across the walkway and down the stairs to Monroe Street.  Walk 3 blocks passing the Regal Cinema, the courthouse, the post office and Bombay Bistro.  This will bring you to the corner of W. Montgomery Avenue and N. Adams Street.  You are at the Beall-Dawson Historical Park.  Turn right on N. Adams Street and either go up steps in middle of block or proceed to Middle Lane and make a left.  In the middle of the block you will see the Museum Shop flag and parking lot for the Beall-Dawson House.  Across the parking lot is the Jane C. Sween Library.