Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission

the Preservationist
Spring 2008

Higgins Tavern before

restoration (left) and after.
The Resurrection of Higgins Tavern
From Colonial times until the late 19th century, In an 1851 professional directory Thomas
In This Issue: taverns occupied almost every crossroad and Higgins is listed as a Hotel Keeper “near
trading center. They were the center of life for rural Mechanicsville” (present-day Olney). When
• MPI Preservation communities. This is where mail was received, Thomas Higgins died in 1856 Lucretia Beall sold
Awards. goods were traded, travelers slept, newspapers were 27.5 acres to Margaret Higgins, wife of Hilleary
read, and local news shared – as well as where hard Orme Higgins, whose relationship to Thomas
Page 2 liquor was imbibed. Higgins is unknown. The 1865 Martenet and Bond
• Lyttonsville Exhibit. Map shows “H. O Higgins Hotel” on the site.
Higgins Tavern was built in 1823, not long
Page 2 after the Georgetown-to-Brookeville Turnpike Higgins Tavern gained a bit of notoriety in
(present Georgia Avenue) was constructed. This October 1872 when a meeting of the Democratic
• Next Stop: Silver tavern is unique because it was owned by women party was held there, attended by Horace Greeley,
Spring. -- which was unusual since it was rare for women Benjamin Brown, and Maryland Governor John
Page 2 to visit taverns – Lucretia Beall from 1823 to 1867, Ritchie. Greely, founder and editor of the New
and Margaret Higgins from 1867 until her death York Tribune, was a candidate for president. He
• AEC Building Eligible in 1905, although it is referred to in historical died on November 29, 1872 at the age of 61, after
for National Register. records by the names of the men with whom they the general election, which he lost to Grant, but
Page 3 lived, Thomas Higgins and Hilleary Orme Higgins before the electoral college met. Brown, a former
respectively. Thomas Higgins was the son of senator, governor of Missouri, and Greely’s vice-
• Maryland Historical Revolutionary War soldier James Higgins, who is presidential candidate, returned to his law practice.
buried at historic Higgins Cemetery in Rockville. Ritchie, a native of Frederick Town, lost his bid for
Trust Card Catalog re-election, but went on later to become a Judge in
Accessible Online Lucretia Beall purchased the property in 1826,
the Maryland Court of Appeals.
Page 3 consisting of about 1⁄4 acre with improvements.
The “improvements” may have included the log The original log structure had several additions
building, but it did not appear in records as a tavern over the years, the main one being the 2-story
until 1829 when Lucretia was assessed for “one-half frame structure on the south side, added in the
acre improved lot with Tavern Stand.” In 1847 mid-19th century. In 1922 the property was sold
Thomas Higgins purchased 127.5 acres of land to Oscar Martin. The Martin family had a very
adjoining the tavern, and turned it over to Lucretia popular ice cream parlor on the premises, and
Beall. In a lawsuit against Higgins about that time, operated Martin’s Dairy, processing milk brought in
Lucretia said that Higgins was acting as agent in by local farmers for a half a century. The property
buying land for her, and although he had been was sold in 1956. From 1965 to 1998 the Silo Inn,
living in the same house as she for the last 20 years, a popular local restaurant, operated on the property
he was not responsible for any improvements to the in a building adjacent to the Tavern.
property and she was not responsible for his debts. See “Higgins” on page 2
 Historic Preservation
News and Notes
Montgomery Preservation, Inc. slave for whom the community is named. To
2008 Preservation Awards find out more about Lyttonsville visit: http://
The 22nd annual Montgomery County Awards silverspringhistory.homestead.com/.
for Excellence in landscape and resource
Next Stop: Silver Spring
preservation, restoration, new construction,
Next Stop: Silver Spring, an hour-long video
and achievement in heritage leadership,
tells the story of the saving and restoration
Historic Silver Spring Train education and craftsmanship will be held on
of the 1945 Silver Spring Train Station. The
Station Friday June 6, 2008 at the historic 1891 Red
documentary also describes the history of
Brick Courthouse in Rockville by Montgomery
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the
Preservation, Inc. (MPI). Nominated landscapes,
Metropolitan Branch of that railroad that goes
vistas and construction need not be designated
through Montgomery County. The production
to be eligible, but should be at least 50 years
of this video, which was featured on WETA
old. Nominations are reviewed by MPI and
television on Sunday, March 9, was aided by
reviewed by a panel of experts, who select the
two Montgomery County Historic Preservation
award winning projects. Nominations must be
grants. This film includes an abundance of
submitted by April 30, 2008. Call 301-926-2650
historic train footage and still photographs,
for a nomination form or email MPI@montgome
much of which is making its public debut in
rypreservation.org. This event is supported with
“Next Stop: Silver Spring.” Also being presented
the help of a grant from the Montgomery County
for the first time is the original music created
Historic Preservation Commission.
especially for this film. Many of the songs are
Lyttonsville Exhibit reminiscent of the folk songs of the early to mid-
To shine a spotlight on the unique history of 20th century.
the historically African American community
The Silver Spring train station was
of Lyttonsville, the Planning Department’s
preserved and restored by the non-profit group
historic preservation staff collaborated with a
Montgomery Preservation Inc. Following an
local citizens group to create an exhibit for the
outpouring of community support to restore
Gwendolyn Coffield Recreation Center in west
the station, MPI took over the title from CSX
Silver Spring for Black History Month. Before
in 1998 for $1. It eventually took $500,000,
there was a Linden, Woodside, or Forest Glen,
raised from private donations, a state bond bill,
there was Lyttonsville, a 68 acre tract settled by
and grants to complete renovations. A Historic
African Americans. The community began in
Preservation grant was used to help sponsor the
1853 when Leonard Johnson, a white landowner,
renovation design.
gave a parcel of land to Samuel Lytton, a freed

Higgins, from page 1

the Preservationist Higgins Tavern, 16800 Georgia Avenue, was

placed on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation
The Preservationist is the official publication of the Montgomery County Historic on May 12, 2006 with .5 acre as environmental
Preservation Commission, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Phone: setting. Both the original log building and the
301-563-3400. Statements herein do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the 2-story addition have been restored by the current
Commission. Created by the Historic Resources Preservation Ordinance (Chapter
24A, Montgomery County Code) the Commission is responsible for identification, owner, Finmarc Management, with Miche Booz
designation, and regulation for purposes of protection, preservation, continued use, as architect. The building will house Penny
and enhancement of sites and structures of historical, archeological, architectural, Chocolates, a shop selling fine chocolates and
or cultural value. Commission members are appointed by the Montgomery County gelato.
Executive and confirmed by the Montgomery County Council.
Commission
Jef Fuller, AIA, Chair David S. Rotenstein, Vice Chair
Nuray Anahtar, AIA Lee Burstyn Caroline Alderson
Timothy J. Duffy Thomas C. Jester Warren Fleming Leslie K. Miles
Historic Preservation Supervisor Scott Whipple
Requests to be on the mailing list and content information
should be directed to the Commission.

2
Department of Energy Building
Deemed Eligible for National Register
In considering proposed routes for the Corridor
Cities Transitway (CCT), county planners and
the State Highway Administration (SHA)
determined that one alternative was not viable
because it would have an adverse effect on
the Department of Energy (DOE) building in
Germantown. In considering potential routes
for the CCT, SHA flagged the DOE site for
historic preservation review under Section 106
of the National Historic Preservation Act, which
requires federal undertakings - that is those
projects funded, licensed, or permitted by the
federal government - to be reviewed for their
potential effect “on any district, site, building,
structure, or object that is included in or eligible
for inclusion in the National Register.”
SHA Architectural Historian Anne Bruder
determined the building to be National Register-
eligible. According to Bruder’s “Determination
of Eligibility” report, the property qualifies In 1949 the Soviet Union created their own Atomic Energy Commission,
for National Register designation because it atomic bomb and began “the Red Scare” and Germantown
is “associated with events that have made a security issues for government offices in D.C. A
significant contribution to the broad patterns of paper was written by scientists on what would
our history” (National Register criterion A) in happen if an A-bomb was dropped on D.C. and
recognition of the DOE building’s importance in response to this President Truman developed
to the development of nuclear sciences and the “Dispersal Policy” to remove government
energy and its impact on suburban development. offices at least 10 miles outside the boundary of
Ms. Bruder also determined that the building D.C. The Atomic Energy Commission was the
embodies the distinct characteristics of a type, first federal government facility built “beyond the
period, or method of construction (criterion C) beltway,” moving into what is now known as the
because of its unique construction, designed by DOE building in November, 1957.
Voorhees, Walker, Smith & Smith, which was
used as a prototype for other buildings. For more Although determined eligible for the
information about the National Register, see National Register, the DOE building has not
http://www.nps.gov/nr/. been formally nominated for listing in the
Register nor has it been evaluated for listing in
On August 6, 1945 the United States the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic
dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Preservation.
This put an end to World War II, but began
the “Atomic Age.” The U.S. Congress realized
immediately the grave danger imposed by this Did You Know?
enormous power and as soon as the war was The “card catalog” of the Maryland Historical Trust Library is now publicly
officially ended, transferred the Manhattan accessible online. The Trust’s library-with more than 10,000 volumes-
Project and anything to do with nuclear power is the State’s principal repository for information relating to Maryland’s
to the civilian government. The five-person architectural, archeological, and cultural heritage. The following types
Atomic Energy Commission was formed in of resources are available to researchers: books, journals, site-specific
1946. It was housed in temporary buildings in reports, historic maps, written and photographic documentation about
Washington, D.C. before being relocated to Maryland’s architectural and archeological sites, oral histories which
Germantown in response to security concerns capture the State’s cultural traditions through written transcripts as well as
after the Soviet Union developed atomic audio and video recordings, historic structure reports, preservation plans,
capabilities. and architectural drawings. http://www.marylandhistoricaltrust.net

3
Calendar Ongoing Exhibits of 270: Wootton’s Mill, Hectic Hill, Flint Ledge Farm,
March 25 - September 21: Good Advice, a survey Log House, Victorian Farmhouse, Hidden Gems, and
of almost 200 years of American advice books Bold Contemporaries. A grand evening of gourmet
and examples of the material culture the authors hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and beverages catered by
espouse (or decry). Beall-Dawson House, 111 West Rockville’s finest restaurants. For tickets contact
Montgomery Ave., Rockville. Tues.-Sun., noon-4 p.m. 301.762.0096 or [email protected].
301-762-1492. www.montgomeryhistory.org 12 Rockville Awards for Preservation Excellence.
April 19 - June 29: Family Bibles: Keepsake and Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville,
Testament includes a range of bible types and styles reception 6 p.m., Awards 7 p.m. Peerless Rockville,
from the Montgomery County Historical Society’s 301-762-0096. www.peerlessrockville.org.
collection, and explores advances in printing 14 & 28 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO
and transportation, changing demographics, and Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.
denominational differences. Waters House, 12535 301-563-3400. www.mc-mncppc.org
Milestone Manor Lane, Germantown. 301-515-2887.
www.montgomeryhistory.org. Wed. & Sat., 10 a.m.- 29- 30 Maryland’s Annual Preservation &
4 p.m. and by appointment. Revitalization Conference, Hagerstown, Maryland.
www.preservationmaryland.org. 410-685-2886, ext.
April 302.
9 & 23 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO Auditorium,
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. 301-563-3400. June
www.mc-mncppc.org 6 Montgomery Preservation Awards. Red Brick
Courthouse, Rockville. 301-926-2650, www.
May montgomerypreservation.org.
6 Takoma Park House & Garden Tour, Carroll
Connections. 1-5 p.m. www.historictakoma.org 11 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO Auditorium,
8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. 301-563-3400.
10 Peerless Rockville’s Homes and Hospitality Tour. www.mc-mncppc.org
4 - 8 p.m., Charming Homes in Neighborhoods West

Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission

8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Support Acknowledged: This publication has been financed in part with Federal funds from the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, made available
through the Maryland Historical Trust, a division of the Department of Housing and Community Development, State of Maryland. However, the contents and opinions
do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of these agencies. Nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommenda-
tion by these agencies.
Non-discrimination: The Montgomery County historic preservation program receives Federal funds from the National Park Service. Regulations of the U.S. Department
of the Interior strictly prohibit unlawful discrimination in departmental federally assisted programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap. Any
person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any program, activity, or facility operation by a recipient of Federal assistance should write to: Director
of Equal Opportunity Program, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC., 20013-37127.