Courtesy of the Town of Kensington website
Kensington’s history began as Joseph’s Park through a land grant of 4,220 acres, located at the time within Charles County, to Mr. William Joseph in 1689. Permitted on September 25, 1705, and now within Prince George’s County, William Joseph’s son used the land for agriculture until he sold it in 1736 to Mr. Daniel Carroll of Upper Marlboro. Carroll, who was one of only five men to sign both the Articles of Confederation (1777) and the Constitution (1787), sold various parcels of land to local farmers. Kensington’s current day form came about from Mr. George Knowles’ property following the construction of the Metropolitan Branch line from Washington, DC to Point of Rocks in 1873.
Bisecting Mr. Knowles’ property, the train began stopping in 1891 at Knowles Station to participate in commerce with Mr. Knowles and the other local farmers. Taking this into account, Mr. Brainard Warner purchased property south of Knowles Station in 1890 from the Brown family and built a summer retreat home. Mr. Warner then began encouraging his friends to purchase parcels of land from him so that they could build summer homes as well. Mr. Warner’s property became known as a “garden suburb” in which he designed after Kensington, England.
Recorded as Kensington Park, the original design of the town is still framed at Town Hall. Mr. Warner, with the help of his friend, Crosby Noyes, editor of the Washington Star, built Noyes Library in 1893. During the Town’s incorporation of 1894, Warner was able to convince the State to name the new Town, Post Office, and Train Station Kensington. Kensington continues today to be known as a Victorian-era garden suburb of Washington, DC. Although the Town has experienced substantial growth since its founding, Kensington remains dedicated to its history with much of the Town designated as Historic.
Courtesy of the Town of Kensington website. If you are interested in exploring Kensington’s rich history in greater depth, we ask that you please visit the Kensington Historical Society’s website.
Recent Stories
The City of Rockville is hosting its annual Skate Jam event at the Rockville Skate Park (355 Martins Lane) on Saturday, April 20 from 9am until 5pm.
This month marks 22 years since Ganignunt “Felicia” Aiemsakul was last seen in the Gaithersburg/Laytonsville area at approximately 2:00 a.m. on March 4, 2002. Her ex-boyfriend told authorities that they…
We associate this Upcounty favorite with summer outdoor fun–but that’s not what the lake’s creators had in mind when it was built.
The Montgomery County Council will meet on Tuesday, March 19th. Full agenda below courtesy Montgomery County:
Bethesda Film Fest
The 2024 Bethesda Film Fest will feature five short documentary films made by filmmakers from Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Screenings will be held Friday April 5 and Saturday April 6 at Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema.