Josiah Henson Site
Josiah Henson Site (formerly "Uncle Tom's Cabin")
11420 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20852
For more information: 301-650-4373
It is presently anticipated that the site will be open to the public on a regular basis by 2012. In the meantime, there will be limited seasonal openings of the site that will be advertised on this web site as well as local newspapers. The Josiah Henson Site is part of the National Park Service National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.
History
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.
Despite the resource’s tremendous history, there had never been a systematic, comprehensive effort to research the property’s origins, physical materials, or archaeological yield. Therefore, M-NCPPC has contracted John Milner and Associates to complete the necessary investigations. Their experienced and well-qualified historians, public historian, architectural historians, buildings materials specialists, and archaeologists are currently involved in a detailed analysis of the building and grounds which should be complete by the summer of 2008.
After this first phase, a “Design Phase” will follow that will look into all of the issues surrounding the conversion of the site from a private dwelling into a public cultural resource.
Historic Structures Report on the Josiah Henson Site
Excerpts from the completed 2008 Historic Structure Report prepared by John Milner and Associates are available below. In the excerpts, 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 Cultural Resources Steweardship staff will use this information as a basis for further investigation into the history of the Henson site as plans move forward to turn it into a public museum.
Historic Structures Report: Introduction
Historic Structures Report: History
Historic Structures Report: Architectural Description
Historic Structures Report: Bibliography
Historic Structures Report: Landscape
Historic Structures Report: Landscape Photos
Historic Structures Report: Catalogue of Images
Historic Structures Report: Josiah Henson and Dawn, Ontario
Historic Structures Report: Josiah Henson's Manumission Papers
Historic Structures Report: Riley Family Tree
back to top - Last update: January 19, 2010
Montgomery County Department of Parks
9500 Brunett Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20901
www.montgomeryparks.org
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