Semiquincentennial

This year’s History Conference will open with a keynote by author David O. Stewart, describing the daunting task that the drafters of the Constitution faced in the summer of 1787. Throughout the day, concurrent sessions will cover an interesting variety of topics such as Native American archaeology in Maryland, anti-war student activism in the county during the Vietnam era, the history of the FDA, and many more.

Anthony Cohen will close the session with reflections on his recent journey called “Freedom Walk 2026,” the 750-mile pilgrimage he took following 19th-century routes to freedom on the Underground Railroad to Canada.

You’re invited to an anniversary bash for Montgomery County on October 10 from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in the Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park. We’ll have games, music, dancing, cake, and light refreshments to celebrate 250 years of our county. With special guests Ben Franklin, members of the Old Line Fife and Drum Corps, and the Washington Revels, this is one party 250 years in the making.

Experience all the pleasures of The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair’s “Barn in the USA” during “the 9 best days of summer” – find out more at their website.

Montgomery Preservation is joining in the fun and celebrating Montgomery County’s 250th Anniversary with two exhibits at the Fair’s Heritage Building.

The first one is entitled “The Post War Suburban Boom in Montgomery County – People, Houses, Shopping – Change!” The charming historic Silver Spring buildings are courtesy of the Silver Spring Historical Society.

The second exhibit is entitled “Enduring Communities: African Americans Finding Strength, Fellowship, Self Reliance, and Civic Engagement in Post Emancipation Montgomery County.”

Peerless Rockville’s pictorial exhibit “Rockville 250: Our American Story” marks two and half centuries of the United States and Montgomery County, tracing American history as it happened in Rockville. Learn how Rockville grew with the nation, from its revolutionary days, through the antebellum era of slavery and fight for emancipation, into the mid-century baby boom with suburbanization, to become today’s modern and diverse 21^st century City. This place-based exhibit highlights the sites and people that reflect American history in Rockville.

Silver Spring Town Center and Montgomery History present historian Ralph Buglass

To state the obvious, our county has undergone tremendous change over the course of its history — once overwhelmingly rural and agricultural, then increasingly suburban and now itself highly urbanized in numerous spots. This presentation sketches major themes of the county’s evolution and development, lavishly illustrated by an array of vintage photos, maps and other images.

This is a FREE event. REGISTER in advance to save your spot. Space is very limited.

Ralph Buglass, a Montgomery County native and avid history buff, has taught at lifelong learning institutes associated with Johns Hopkins and American Universities and Montgomery College. He speaks frequently to community groups, businesses, and other organizations as well as at national conferences. In 2020, with Peerless Rockville, he co-authored Images of America: Rockville, a pictorial history of the city’s 250 years. A retired communications professional, he is a graduate of Winston Churchill High School and has a B.A. in American history from Cornell and an M.A. in journalism from American University.

Silver Spring Town Center educates, entertains, and inspires residents of all ages by activating public spaces with arts and cultural events that embrace the region’s diversity and build community connections.

Montgomery History—the county’s historical society—has been preserving and telling the county’s diverse history since its founding in 1944. It offers weekly Zoom talks, community lectures through its Speakers Bureau, and an annual conference, in addition to welcoming researchers to its library on its Rockville campus and a variety of other services. It will soon move into Rockville’s sole surviving Art Deco building.

Please note that the number of parking spaces is limited. Additional parking is available one block away at county garage and lot #4, 8100 Fenton Street, with an additional entrance off of Sligo Avenue. Traffic and crosswalk lights facilitate crossing Georgia Avenue at Sligo Avenue in front of the station.

There is a special needs space and ramp at the station, along with an accessible entrance and restroom.

The station is a Montgomery County Historic Site, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and a gem in Silver Spring’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

Join Historic Medley District for a festive celebration of the Semiquincentennial (yup, that means a 250^th birthday) of Montgomery County on the evening of May 28 at Bally Cliff Farm, on Route 28 in Beallsville.

Historic Medley District, the guardian of our upcounty history, will host this gala gathering, focusing on the rich history of all our communities in the western Ag Reserve – from Seneca and Sugarland to Poolesville and Jerusalem, from Boyds, Beallsville and Barnesville to Martinsburg, Dickerson and Big Woods (and everyplace in between).

Cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, music and good cheer! Country casual attire.

Come one, come all, and bring your friends.

Maria Sprehn, Ph.D., and Sarah Hedlund explore how Montgomery County evolved into one of the most diverse counties in the U.S. through 200 years of immigration stories, oral histories, archival documents, census data, and more. Stories include immigrants from Ukraine, Latvia, El Salvador, India, Palestine, China, Congo, and others.