with Michael Nardolilli | Prerecorded virtual event With Western states running out of water, could it happen here? The Executive Director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Michael Nardolilli, traces the history of providing drinking water to the DC area, the current system, and the outlook for the future. Originally aired in November […]

 with Eugene Meyer | Prerecorded virtual event More than 163 years later, John Brown’s October 1859 ill-fated raid on Harpers Ferry to seize its federal arsenal and incite a slave rebellion is well known. Less known are the stories of five African Americans who joined with him. Their sacrifice continues to resonate, as the legacy of […]

with Jennifer Wilcox, Director of Education at the National Cryptologic Museum | Prerecorded virtual event During the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union sought to protect their own communications and “read the mail” of the enemy. Join Jennifer Wilcox, Director of Education at the National Cryptologic Museum, as she shares the history […]

with Tom Farquhar | Prerecorded virtual event The rich soil of Montgomery County has supported a wide variety of agricultural enterprises, ranging from millennia of crop cultivation by indigenous communities, to tobacco plantations of the first colonial settlers of European descent, progressing to market farming serving growing populations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. Today the agriculture […]

with Kacy Rohn | Prerecorded virtual event | For 25 years, Montgomery County’s Rustic Roads Program has protected the historic and scenic roadways that reflect the county’s agricultural character and rural origins. An update to the Rustic Roads Functional Master Plan was approved in 2023 . This presentation describes the work done to bring new roads […]

Join Montgomery History at Shirley Povich field for our annual Ice Cream Social! We'll have a trivia contest and a very brief teaser for the History Conference from our keynote speaker, Ralph Buglass. RSVP Here

with Jim Johnston | Prerecorded virtual event | Learn about a 200+ year-old tale of Supreme Court history this week, as Jim Johnston details the pivotal 1803 case of Marbury v. Madison and the man behind it–William Marbury. Born to an impoverished tobacco farmer in Prince George’s County, young Marbury had bigger dreams of fame and […]

with Sarah Hedlund and Maria Sprehn | Prerecorded virtual event | In 1850 less than 2% of Montgomery County’s population was foreign born and by 1960 it was almost 5%. Today, more than 35% of the county’s residents are foreign born and even more speak at least one language besides English. How has Montgomery County become […]

with Paul Schwartz | Prerecorded virtual event | Enjoy this must-see presentation that brings attendees through a 164-year journey of local history as told through the news stories covered in the Montgomery County Sentinel: one of the most important sources of local journalism. The paper covered everything from civil rights to the Civil War, county infrastructure, […]

with Kenny Sholes | Prerecorded virtual event | The lands around us have played an important part in American history over the last few centuries. The fields we pass through each day have spurred economic development, been the scene of battles, provided escape from the pace of daily life, and brought families together at the dinner […]

with Scott Shane | Prerecorded virtual event | Scott Shane’s Flee North tells a very local tale of both tragedy and triumph. It unearths the lost story of Thomas Smallwood, born into slavery, who bought his freedom, educated himself, and became a shoemaker in Southeast Washington, a short walk from the U.S. Capitol. In 1842, Smallwood […]

with Andy Bittner | Prerecorded virtual event | At 83 years, the building of Washington National Cathedral was the longest-lasting construction project in the history of Washington D.C., and it resulted in one of the great wonders of the 20th century. Join Andy Bittner, author of the book Building Washington National Cathedral, as he takes you […]

with Ed and Nancy Bodmer | Prerecorded virtual event | In this lecture titled A World War I Soldier’s Story, Ed and Nancy Bodmer recount Charles Roszier Bodmer’s heroic experiences in World War I with his uniform, helmet, letters, and pictures.Recording available November 17– November 23. https://youtu.be/ZmkFmdc4zGA

with Susan Rosenvold | Prerecorded virtual event | Discover Clara Barton’s first foray on the field of battle, from the meeting that gained her permission to take supplies to and travel with the Army through Maryland, to her experiences at the Battle of Antietam and her return to Washington D.C. Despite the horrors and challenges she […]

with Eileen McGuckian and Susan Soderburg| Prerecorded virtual event | On November 1, 1864, Maryland became the first state below the Mason-Dixon Line to free enslaved people within its boundaries by popular vote. On the 156th anniversary of Emancipation in the Old Line State, two chroniclers of Montgomery County history will describe local experiences with slavery, […]

with Paul Kreingold | pre-recorded virtual event |  In his talk, “Potomac Marble: The History of the Search for the Ideal Stone,” Paul Kreingold explores the aftermath of Washington’s 1814 destruction by the British, highlighting President Monroe and Benjamin Latrobe’s quest to rebuild the Capitol Building with symbolic and aesthetically pleasing materials. They selected Potomac Marble, […]

with Sandy Heiler | pre-recorded virtual event |  America engaged in a century and a half love affair with an architectural feature that no one actually needed but nearly everyone wanted. This talk traces the history of the front porch through the social movements and architectural styles of the 19th and early 20th centuries, from the […]

with Deirdre Harris | pre-recorded virtual event |  The Agricultural History Farm Park is home to 275 years of farming history that includes the lives of the Magruder family, patriots of the American Revolution; the Newman family, African Americans who left enslavement in Virginia and purchased land after the failed promise of Reconstruction, and the Bussard […]