In early September, we shared the news of Gaithersburg Rental Center’s plan to close later in the month. The business, located at 219 E Diamond Avenue, closed on September 23rd after nearly nine decades as a trusted local business and community staple following the sale of the property it operated on. The community said goodbye on the business’s last Facebook last and some of the comments can be seen below.
Each October, we like to revisit one of Montgomery County’s most enduring ghost stories… the haunted reputation of Game Preserve Road in Gaithersburg.
Long before television became a staple in every American home, one of the most groundbreaking broadcasts in U.S. history was sent from right here in Montgomery County. On July 2, 1928, Charles Francis Jenkins, a prolific inventor with more than 400 patents, launched W3XK, the nation’s first licensed commercial television station, from Wheaton, Maryland (Library of Congress; National Museum of American History).
Located beside the railroad tracks in Washington Grove, Hershey’s Restaurant & Bar is less a restaurant than a living piece of Montgomery County history… one whose identity has long been intertwined with crispy, golden fried chicken.
September 24 marks the birthday of literary legend F. Scott Fitzgerald, born in 1896 and remembered as one of the greatest American novelists of the 20th century. Best known for The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald’s ties to Montgomery County run deeper than many realize… he is buried right here in Rockville.
Montgomery Blair High School, one of Montgomery County’s most storied institutions, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year with a yearlong series of events. The celebration kicks off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, September 26, in the Blair auditorium, ahead of the school’s homecoming game. VIPs and dignitaries from county, state, and national education and community organizations are expected to attend the kickoff, which is being spearheaded by the Blair Alumni Association.
Montgomery County currently has 25 public high schools, with two new additions, Crown High School in Gaithersburg and the reopened Woodward High School in North Bethesda, set to join the list in the coming years. While the county has experienced significant growth and modernization, several of its schools trace their roots back well over a century. Here’s a closer look at the three oldest high schools in Montgomery County Public Schools (that still exist in MCPS):
Originally published in 2021. Courtesy Susan Soderberg of The Germantown Historical Society. (more…)
Montgomery County Council President Kate Stewart, in partnership with Montgomery History, will host a free public panel on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 1–2:30 p.m. at the Council Office Building in Rockville to discuss the county’s upcoming 250th anniversary, its history, and its future, featuring local leaders and a MCPS student representative. (more…)
A rare historical photograph, shared by Suzy Deppa and taken by Bruce Deppa, offers a unique window into the landscape of Gaithersburg and Montgomery Village as it existed in 1964. The colorless image captures a time before the area’s modern development, showcasing a more rural, open landscape that has since been transformed.
The now-lost city of Triadelphia (“three brothers”) was founded in 1809 by brothers-in-law Thomas Moore, Isaac Briggs, and Caleb Bentley. The three men were married to the Brooke sisters, who were descendants of Robert Brooke– the founder of nearby Brookeville in Montgomery County.