with James Johnston| True artists were rare in the Mid-Atlantic in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Tobacco planters might pay for a portrait, but this was a luxury for the rich. Good, European-trained artists did not want to make the perilous ocean crossing for uncertain reward. This is why “primitive” or self-taught artists, like Georgetown’s […]
with Brien Poffenberger, President of Gruber-Latimer Restoration| Brick and stone masonry has changed little over the past six thousand years. The basic construction of your garden wall would be familiar to the folks who built the Pyramids or The Great Wall of China. And yet, there are things going on in historic masonry that escape our […]
with Ralph Buglass | Tuesday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | White’s Ferry--until recently closed--was a living history example of a long tradition of Potomac River ferries tying together Montgomery County and northern Virginia. And when the C&O Canal was operational for nearly 90 years, White’s, along with Edwards and Spinks ferries upcountry, took […]
Join Montgomery History at Shirley Povich field for our annual Ice Cream Social! Coach Bob Milloy will be on hand to share some personal stories from his time as a football coach.RSVP Here
from Paths to the Present | In the early 1940s, all across the country, we were swing dancing to the music of Glenn Miller. Starlets like Ginger Rogers and Mary Martin, were lighting up the silver screen. Esquire magazine featured Petty girls. Gasoline was about 20 cents a gallon, bread about 8 cents a loaf, and a movie cost […]
with Judy Welles | | Virtual Event | In this talk based on her book about the prominent Montgomery County socialite and businesswoman Lilly Stone, Judy Welles tells the story of a daring woman whose remarkable life extended from the Civil War through the Cold War. Lilly’s papers and letters, documented by Welles, describe the divided loyalties […]
https://youtu.be/7pMx38jx9kA?si=EajJnwuEflZpmVrtwith Ann Robertson | Before it was a county park and wedding destination, Rockwood Manor Special Park was a national Girl Scout Camp. When GSUSA sold the camp to residential developers, neighbors and individual Girl Scouts fought to stop the sale. Join Author Ann Robertson as she shares why Rockwood was so important to save, and […]
With Bert Coursey, PhD, NIST Retired, Chairman of NIST Alumni History Committee |Tuesday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began in 1901 as the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). For 65 years the main activities of the NBS were carried out on a small wooded […]
with retired Maryland Historical Trust Chief Archeologist Dennis Curry |Virtual Event | Canavest (located on Heater’s Island) was the last permanent village of the Piscataway Indians in Maryland. Various aspects of the site—which was occupied from 1699 to at least 1712—are vividly described in a series of colonial documents from Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. These archival […]
Presented by Gwendora Hebron Reese, Suzanne Johnson, and Jeff Sypeck |Pre-recorded Virtual Event | At its height, the African American town of Sugarland in the northwest corner of Montgomery County was home to a church, a school, a store, a post office, and a practice hall for the town band. In this session, the team behind […]
At this time, tickets are sold out. Stay tuned for future tour dates! |Join Montgomery History for Button Farm Almanac, a guided tour of the Button Farm Living History Center. Led by historian and Menare founder Tony Cohen, guests will be guided on this behind-the-scenes reveal of the Button Farm in Germantown, its history and […]
With Kenny Sholes |Thursday, September 19 at 7:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Otho Trundle’s barn, thought to have been built around 1830, will turn 200 in a few years. It’s believed that Civil War soldiers spent time resting here when the Confederate Army passed right by on their Maryland Campaign of 1862. Today, the barn […]
With Jeanne Gartner|Tuesday, September 24 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Reed Brothers Dodge was one of the longest running automobile dealerships in Montgomery County history, operating from two locations in Rockville for more than 97 years. This presentation features historical photographs taken by the dealership’s founder, Lewis Reed, and highlights how Reed Brothers Dodge […]
with Eileen McGuckian | If we can read history in books, do we need to see historic buildings in person? Many people think so, and this session will feature how local preservation has been accomplished over the past century. The significance of places like cemeteries, the Silver Theatre, the Red Brick Courthouse, the Dickerson Railroad Station, […]
with Ralph Buglass | For most of the 1960s and '70s, Gaithersburg was an entertainment mecca for the greater DC area. Shady Grove Music Fair—first under a big-top tent and then in a theater-in-the-round venue complete with a revolving stage—hosted Broadway hits and a wide variety of pop, rock and soul singers. Stars included Simon and […]
with Sarah Hedlund | Any history of Montgomery County’s oldest newspaper of record will contain the following information: “The Sentinel was founded in 1855 by Matthew Fields, a Confederate sympathizer who was arrested during the Civil War for his opinions. After his death in 1871, his widow took over the publication.” The story almost always ends […]
In-person Event | The Montgomery County History Conference returns October 19 at Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus in the Parilla Performing Arts Center. The conference offers myriad opportunities to engage with local history, including a keynote address, nine breakouts, a boxed lunch, a documentary screening, and a happy hour reception.Learn More
In-person Event | The Montgomery County History Conference returns October 19 at Montgomery College’s Rockville Campus in the Parilla Performing Arts Center. The conference offers myriad opportunities to engage with local history, including a keynote address, nine breakouts, a boxed lunch, a documentary screening, and a happy hour reception. Learn More
with Rebecca Henson |Tuesday, October 22 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Rebecca Henson of Springsong Museum will deliver a presentation on Rachel Carson (1907-1964), world-renowned writer, biologist, and considered by many as the ‘Mother of the Modern Environmental Movement’ who lived her adult life in Silver Spring. Henson will provide an overview of Carson’s […]
with Sarah Fling, Historian at the White House Historical Association | Since 1800, hundreds of dedicated staff members have worked behind the scenes to help the White House fulfill its roles as a seat of government, a family residence, and a historic site. Join White House Historical Association historian Sarah Fling as she highlights lesser-known stories […]
with Elizabeth Lay | Originally presented to our Lilly Stone Circle members in October 2020, this special lecture by our former Curator Elizabeth Lay showcases a variety of items from the collection related to elections and voting. From ballot boxes to voting booths, learn about local elections and the stories these items tell about how voting has […]
