History in the Parks

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Oakley Cabin
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Oakley Cabin
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Kingsley Schoolhouse
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Josiah Henson Park
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Agricultural History Farm Park
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Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park - Woodlawn Museum

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Travel back in time to learn how your family, friends, and neighbors may have lived. Imagine your surprise when you discover you haven’t traveled far from your backyard to your local park.

Explore the Historic Sites

We own several historic sites open to the public, some with limited access, and some in partnership with non-profit groups.

Agricultural History Farm Park
Agricultural History Farm Park

See the past, present, and future of Montgomery County farming at the Agricultural History Farm Park. This scenic 455 acre park features rolling hills, open fields, an apple orchard, and a variety of farm animals. Get a unique perspective on the county’s rich farming heritage while visiting barns, historic buildings, a modern farming activity center, and other facilities at the park.
Acorn Urban Park
Acorn Urban Park

According to local history, this spring was given its name in 1840 by a newspaper publisher and friend of President Andrew Jackson, Francis Preston Blair, after he discovered the spring bubbling up through shiny mica sand.
Westmoreland Hills Local Park - Battery Bailey
Westmoreland Hills Local Park - Battery Bailey

This engineered-made hill was constructed during the Civil War to support cannons aimed at protecting the reservoir of water for Washington, D.C
Blockhouse Point Conservation Park - Civil War Experience
Blockhouse Point Conservation Park - Civil War Experience

The park encompasses historic Civil War ruins of national significance, mature upland forests and views of the Potomac Valley not equaled elsewhere in Montgomery County.
Agricultural History Farm Park - Bussard Farmstead
Agricultural History Farm Park - Bussard Farmstead

This 1908 farm of the Bussard family includes a large bank barn, water tank house and other outbuildings.
Darby Store
Darby Store

One of the few existing examples of a rural, vernacular general store dating from the early twentieth century in Montgomery County.
Jesup Blair Local Park - Jesup Blair House
Jesup Blair Local Park - Jesup Blair House

Originally known as “The Moorings,” was constructed in 1850 by John and Mary Blair and remained in the family until the mid-1930s.
Josiah Henson Museum and Park
Josiah Henson Museum and Park

The Josiah Henson Park is a historic resource of local, state, national and international significance because of its association with Reverend Josiah Henson, whose 1849 autobiography inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Kensington Cabin Local Park - Kensington Cabin
Kensington Cabin Local Park - Kensington Cabin

Built in 1934, the Kensington Cabin is a surviving example of “parkitecture” design championed by the National Park Service during the Great Depression
Kingsley Schoolhouse
Kingsley Schoolhouse

Built in 1893 in an area known locally as “Froggy Hollow”, the Kingsley school house served the community until it closed in 1935, when the great depression forced families to leave the area to look for work. Of the late 19th century one room school houses still existing in Montgomery County, the Kingsley Schoolhouse is one of the few that is open to the public as museum.
Little Bennett Regional Park - Historic Sites
Little Bennett Regional Park - Historic Sites

As early as the 18th century, the Little Bennett Valley was the scene of farms and small scale industries capitalizing on the region’s abundant resources of timber, water, vegetation and vast acreage for farming.
Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park
Oakley Cabin African American Museum & Park

Built as one of three cabins, the cabin was the center of an African American roadside community from emancipation well into the 20th century.
Paint Branch Stream Valley Trail
Paint Branch Stream Valley Trail

The trail features views of Paint Branch stream and passes the historic Valley Mill and the former site of Snowden Mill. These mills are among the oldest in the County, dating back to the 18th century.
Seneca Landing Special Park - Seneca Store
Seneca Landing Special Park - Seneca Store

The Seneca Store, formerly known as Poole’s Store, is at the heart of a small farming center established in 1732.
Brookside Nature Center - The Thomas Harper Homestead
Brookside Nature Center - The Thomas Harper Homestead

The log cabin came from a post-Civil War African American community, north of Poolesville, in western Montgomery County and now resides at Brookside Nature Center.
Woodlawn manor Cultural Park - Underground Railroad Experience Trail
Woodlawn manor Cultural Park - Underground Railroad Experience Trail

The Underground Railroad Experience Trail hikes commemorate the involvement of Montgomery County residents in the Underground Railroad and celebrates the Quaker heritage and traditions of Sandy Spring.
Waters House Special Park
Waters House Special Park

The Waters House is the oldest house in Germantown. Located on Pleasant Fields, the estate includes a 1790s dwelling and barn that represent farm life in the mid-1800s.
Woodlawn Museum
Woodlawn Museum

Visit the Woodlawn Museum’s stone barn exhibits where echoes of the past tell the story of a bustling farm, its community, and those who made a bold bid for freedom on the Underground Railroad. Learn about Woodlawn’s earliest residents and their neighbors.

Last Updated: November 27, 2023

Montgomery Parks

History in the Parks

Oakley Cabin

Oakley Cabin

Kingsley Schoolhouse

Josiah Henson Park

Agricultural History Farm Park

Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park - Woodlawn Museum