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Josiah Henson Historic Site

The Riley House/Uncle Tom's Cabin

Josiah Henson Historic Site (formerly "Riley Farm/ Uncle Tom's Cabin")
11420 Old Georgetown Road
N. Bethesda, MD 20852
For more information: 301-650-4373
History | Additional Resources

At the present time, there are limited seasonal openings. Please check the parks events calendar for future events . Events will also be advertised throurgh local media. The Josiah Henson Site is part of the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.

Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan

Community Meeting #2  (Rescheduled)
Recent storms caused this meeting to be rescheduled to Aug. 24, 2010. Details are listed on the Parks Calendar This meeting is the next step in planning the future of this park. The public will be able to review the staff response to the public input on issues and visions voiced at the first public meeting.

For more information about the future development of Josiah Henson Special Park, please visit Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan.

History

Today

In 2008 a Historic Structure Report was written to systematically and comprehensively document the property’s origins, physical materials, and archaeological yield. M-NCPPC contracted John Milner and Associates to complete the necessary investigations. Their experienced and well-qualified public historian, architectural historians, buildings materials specialists, and archaeologists developed a detailed analysis of the building and grounds.

An abridged edition of the report is available here. In this document you will find information on Josiah Henson, the Riley family, and on the structures and landscape of the site. As with all historical inquiries, research is ongoing.

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.

The Past

The Josiah Henson Site (formerly called the "Riley Farm/Uncle Tom's Cabin") 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. The Riley farm was where Henson lived and worked as a slave from 1795 to 1830. The existing frame building, possibly dating to the late 18th century, was the home of Isaac Riley. The log wing was used as a kitchen in the early 20th century.

Many of Henson's experiences of living as a slave on the Riley property are vividly depicted in his autobiographies and are recreated in Stowe's novel. Henson eventually escaped to Canada in 1830, where he established a fugitive slave community called Dawn and became a minister, speaker and writer. He returned to the United States several times between 1831 and 1865 as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.

The impact of Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, cannot be underestimated. Published in 1852, it broke all sales records of the time and sold over half a million copies by 1857. It inspired and enflamed the abolitionist movement in the mid-19th century and many believe it helped to propel the American Civil War.

Because of the historical associations of the Josiah Henson Site there is perhaps no property in Montgomery County that conjures up images of slavery and the slave experience as much as this resource. The goal for the interpretation of the Josiah Henson Site is to accurately portray Henson’s life and the Maryland slave experience as well as to explore the impact of Stowe’s novel. The realization of this goal will have a permanent educational benefit.

The Josiah Henson Site had been in private ownership for its entire history, until it was acquired by the Montgomery County Department of Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in January, 2006. The building and site are protected by public ownership and M-NCPPC is committed to being an excellent steward of this resource.

Additional Resources

Electronic versions of Rev. Josiah Henson's autobiographies are available online. Please follow the links below to read Henson's historic narratives

back to top - Last update: August 25, 2010