Ongoing Projects
In Progress | On the Horizon | Completed
In Progress
Josiah Henson Site (formerly called Riley Farm/"Uncle Tom's Cabin")
A Master Plan for Josiah Henson Special Park is currently under development. Please visit the master plan web page and let us know what your ideas for this very special park.
The Josiah Henson Site is a Montgomery County landmark of international repute. It is the only standing structure in the United States associated with the life of Josiah Henson, the former slave whose autobiography was the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s seminal novel,Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
In 2008 a Historic Structure Report was written to systematically and comprehensively document the property’s origins, physical materials, and archaeological yield.An abridged edition of the report is available online. In this document you will find information on Josiah Henson, the Riley family, and on the structures and landscape of the site.
The site is entering a "Design Phase" that will look into all of the issues surrounding the conversion of the site from a private dwelling into a public cultural resource.The Historic Structure Report is being used as a basis for further investigation into the history of the Henson site as plans move forward to turn it into a public museum. Please visit the project page for Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan to find out more about what's in store for this site.
Woodlawn Stone Barn Visitor Center Project
Montgomery Parks is currently working to convert the historic Woodlawn Stone Barn into a visitor center. For more information, visit the Woodlawn Stone Barn Visitor Center project web page. We need your input on the futureo of this project. Please review the project background information and then give us your opinion by taking our Online Survey. Once you complete the survey, your name will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 Visa Gift Card!
Coming Soon
Updates on the Brainard Warner House, Kensington, MD.
On the Horizon
Projects you can look forward to:
Zeigler Log House Rehabilitation & Interpretation
Darby Store Stabilization
Zeigler Log House Rehabilitation & Interpretation
Members of the Park Planning and Stewardship Division have moved their offices into the historic Zeigler Log House within Little Bennett Park. The house will be open for public interpretive tours seasonally (four times a year) and will feature a permanent exhibit about the Zeigler family and their farming and milling activities.
The Zeigler House is a log and frame structure that was the home of David A. Zeigler, a miller and farmer of 300 acres. The house was built in two campaigns. The rear section, constructed of logs, is the earliest part of the house. The Greek Revival/Italianate front section dates from the mid-19th century. The family’s saw and bone mill once stood at the bottom of the nearby hill on Prescott Road. Zeigler and his wife Eleanor Hyatt married in 1835 and raised ten children in the house. In an 1850 census, Zeigler was also listed as an ‘Innkeeper.’ The property also contains a frame bank barn and a concrete-block dairy barn.
Darby Store Stabilization
The Darby Store and its neighboring house, located in Beallsville, represents the prominence of the local merchant in a rural turn-of-the-century farming community. Although stores such as the Darby Store were once found throughout Montgomery County, few remain today.
M-NCPPC is developing stabilization plans for the store which is currently in poor repair.
Completed
Seneca Stone Barn Stabilization
The Department of Parks issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in November 2007 to stabilize this historic structure located in Woodstock Equestrian Park. Work to stabilize the structure was completed in Summer 2009.
The barn will feature interpretive signs. Hikers and equestrians can stop by and learn more about the area’s agricultural and equestrian heritage.
Date of last update: February 25, 2010
Montgomery County Department of Parks