Rockville Awarded $16,941 Grant to Study Historic City Sites

Per the City of Rockville: The Maryland Heritage Areas Authority has awarded the City of Rockville grant funding to study the Avery Road Colored Cemetery and Benjamin Franklin Smith Family Homestead, located within the footprint of today’s Croydon Creek Nature Center and John G. Hayes Forest Preserve. The city was awarded $16,941 to hire a consultant to perform historical background research and use ground-penetrating radar to document what remains below ground connected to Benjamin Franklin Smith, his family and the sites’ development.

This nondestructive approach will seek to discover what lies beneath the areas, including burial sites, funerary objects, architectural relics, and stone tools, arrowheads or other artifacts. Survey findings will assist with a second phase of the project to provide overall site interpretation of the Smith homestead and cemetery sites.

The sites were once part of Bowie’s Glenview Estate. The Bowies used the labor of enslaved Black people, including Smith, to operate the plantation. Up to 31 enslaved people were used to clear forested areas, for farming, and in the family home’s upkeep and operation.

The plantation was comprised of the Bowie residence, farm fields, a chapel and cemetery slave quarters, a slave cemetery, and timberlands. In 1884, per Bowie’s final wishes, the lands were deeded to Smith, who developed a homestead and an adjacent family burial plot. One-hundred grants were awarded to state nonprofits, local jurisdictions and other heritage tourism organizations, totaling $5 million.

Recent Stories

The winter weather has caused slush to accumulate with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) warning of wet and slick spots on the road.

Two Hour Delay: 12/11/2023 at 5:30 AM  Schools will open 2 hours later. Before and After school childcare programs and Community Use occur as scheduled

St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Deputies (SMCSO) responded to a motor vehicle collision involving a horse and buggy on Sunday, December 10, 2023, at 11:57 am.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services (MCFRS) responded to a call in the area of Russell Ave and Montgomery Village Ave, near the now-closed Lakeforest Mall, for a collision and…

So What Else Indoor Vintage Event

SATURDAY 12/9/23 Join us for the ultimate year-end celebration of art, vintage finds, and fashion at CNXN.WORLD's Art & Vintage Event! Sponsored by So What Else, Inc. We will be hosting a hygiene product drive as well! Please bring items like soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, and more to donate and make a difference. Sign up for a chance to WIN a $40 credit you can use towards any purchase at the event! We've got food, drinks, and more prizes during the event! Vendor Lineup: @thefoundrymd @poetic_sole @on2thenext_vntg @fleetwoodmarket @anatething @bimdayz @thriftlifeadvintage @yester_dayz @bratty_couture @camryncurtiss @crushthrifts @888deadgirl @ken_blendz @misfitbodega @mando.nc @mozartsthriftshop @seamslikenew @skuffstore @the.crucial.cookie @sowhatelsehelps Saturday, December 9th, 20231:30 PM to 6:00 PM4924 Wyaconda Rd, North Bethesda, MD 20852. See you there!

×

Subscribe to our mailing list