This park is here today because of what it means to the Emory Grove community. Founded in 1864 when formerly enslaved people bought tracts of land here, Emory Grove became home to a tight-knit African American community. By 1880, it was well-known regionally for religious camp meetings. Thousands of worshippers came in the August heat to listen to sermons, sing, and share food and fellowship underneath the grove of oak trees still providing shade in the park today.
Businessman Edward Johnson bought the grounds in 1947. He added a dance hall and a lighted baseball field, complete with a grandstand and concessions. At a time when racial restrictions blocked African Americans from fair access to parks and recreation, Johnson’s Park was a hub of social and community life. Baseball games were particularly popular on Sunday afternoons after church.
In the late 1960s, Emory Grove was selected for a federally-funded urban renewal program to bring sewer lines, indoor plumbing, and new housing. Most of the homes and businesses in the community were demolished and replaced with homes many former residents could no longer afford. During this time, the advocacy of residents saved Johnson’s Park from the same fate. The park became county parkland in 1974. Initially called Emory Grove Local Park, the community requested its name be restored in 1995.
Voices from Emory Grove
You can also hear these stories on a listening station installed near the picnic shelter at Johnson’s Local Park (18000 Washington Grove Lane, Gaithersburg, MD 20877). The listening station is accompanied by three interpretive signs that share the park’s deep history.
These audio episodes feature individuals sharing their firsthand accounts of the history of Johnson’s Park and Emory Grove.