Montgomery History

2025 Montgomery County History Conference
2025-11-08 08:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | 20200 Observation Dr, Germantown, MD 20876, 20200 Observation Dr, Germantown, MD, 20876, United States
SAVE THE DATE — November 8, 2025 | The Montgomery County History Conference returns November 8, 2025 at Montgomery College’s Bioscience Education building on the Germantown campus! | Join us as we celebrate and reflect on the 250th anniversary of Montgomery County. Learn More Here

History Conversations REWIND | Building Washington National Cathedral
2025-11-10 - 2025-11-16
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 on a photographic journey through the years of the cathedral’s construction and introduces you to some of the key figures in that amazing story. Originally aired August 2022.

History Conversations REWIND | A WWI Soldier’s Story
2025-11-10 - 2025-11-16
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.

History Conversations REWIND | Clara Barton at Antietam
2025-11-24 - 2025-11-30
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 faced, it solidified her determination to become a dedicated humanitarian and led to the establishment of the American Red Cross. Originally aired in September 2020. Recording available November 24 – November 30.

History Conversations REWIND | Emancipation in Montgomery County, Maryland
2025-12-01 - 2025-12-07
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, war, emancipation, and its aftermath. Originally aired October 2020. Recording available December 1 – 7.

History Conversations REWIND | Potomac Marble: The History of the Search for the Ideal Stone
2025-12-08 - 2025-12-14
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, a limestone conglomerate found along the Potomac River, for the Capitol’s columns. Kriengold discusses the challenges they faced, including political opposition and quarrying difficulties. His research has led to the rediscovery of these historic quarries, and he will present polished samples, discuss British methods for burning stone buildings, early 19th-century quarrying techniques, and the use of the Potomac Canal for transporting the stone to Washington, D.C. for carving. Originally aired February 2024. Recording available December 8 – 14

Potomac Marble Walking Tour
2025-12-13 11:00 - 15:30 | Dickerson Conservation Area, 20700 Martinsburg Rd, Dickerson, 20842, United States
December 13 at 11 AM | With Paul Kreingold | Discover the stone that was used to rebuild Washington D.C. after the British invaded in 1814.Join historian Paul Kreingold on a hike to learn about the lost history of the Potomac Marble! Paul will lead a tour of the 200-year-old quarries discovered during the research for his book Potomac Marble: History of the Search for the Ideal Stone. Mr. Kreingold is the Conservation Director of the Loudoun County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League and a Virginia Master Naturalist, Banshee Reeks Chapter. Learn more about this walking tour and reserve your spotRegister Here liability waiver and medical form →

History Conversations | Before it was Leisure World, it was the Edmonson Farm
2025-12-16 14:00 - 15:00
with Dianne Bradley and Juanita Sealy-Williams | Tuesday, December 16 at 2:00 p.m. | Virtual Event | Prior to the Civil War, Paul Edmonson, a freed Black man, lived with his family on what was then one of the largest Black-owned farms in Montgomery County, now part of the land comprising Leisure World. However, while he was free, Paul’s wife and their 14 children were all still enslaved. Join Dianne Bradley and Juanita Sealy-Williams as they tell the fascinating story of Paul’s journey to free his family from slavery and their part in the abolition movement.
