Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission

the Preservationist
Summer 2003

Recalling the Past: Camp Meetings

by Joey Lampl grove of trees and cottage sites on narrow lots
that radiated out from the tabernacle. The
Starting this Fall, the Historic Preservation
summer meetings ended in 1924, but the
Section will document Montgomery County’s
community still thrives as a permanent, year-
Camp Meeting tradition. In a phased folklore
round neighborhood.
project funded by the National Park Service
through the Maryland Historical Trust’s The Baltzley brothers decided to construct a
Certified Local Government grant program, staff more sophisticated version of the camp meeting,
and independent consultants will document an known as the National Chautauqua at Glen
important part of the county’s social, Echo, in the early 1890s. The Glen Echo site
educational, recreational, and religious history. not only featured spiritual sessions, but
intellectual lectures and fine concerts. It drew a
Camp meetings, or summer religious revivals,
vast crowd of Washingtonians to the shore of
were a natural fit in Montgomery County
the Potomac until a malaria scare in 1892
beginning in the early 19th century because of
squelched its popularity.
the county’s extensive woodlands and rural
character. The first camp meeting sites were In 1931, the Bethesda Methodist Church
arbors of trees surrounded by benches. The idea sponsored a camp meeting in Damascus, which
was to have a spiritual retreat for ministers, their eventually became known as the Damascus
Program cover of the 1905 families, and worshippers in an atmosphere that Camp Meeting (and has been run for many years
Washington Grove was rejuvenating. The meetings typically were by the Montgomery County Interdenomina-
Assembly. held for a handful of days in late July or early tional Holiness Association). Another
August. The earliest county meetings were held Depression-era meeting was the Free Methodist
at Hopewell Chapel near Damascus and at Church Maryland-Virginia meeting – also
Federal Chapel in Colesville. known as the Spencerville Free Methodist Camp
In This Issue: Meeting – started under a grove of trees with
After the Civil War, the camp meetings
benches and tents in 1932. Worshippers
• Montgomery Prize became more permanent in nature. In several
eventually erected a wooden tabernacle, one-
locations, tabernacles were built, along with
and other award dining halls, dormitories, and cottages. Orators
room cabins and frame buildings to support
winners. Page 2 dining and other functions.
began to make the camp meeting circuit,
• Heritage Days photos. traveling from other parts of the country to The first part of the camp meeting folklore
speak at the religious retreats. Washingtonians project will be an oral history component. The
Page 2 traveled to the meetings via horse and buggy. Historic Preservation Section is seeking people
• County birthday One of the first post-Civil War meetings was at who have participated in any of the
Emory Grove, a Methodist meeting established Montgomery County camp meetings over a long
coming up. Page 2
for black freedmen. It was active until 1967. period of time. Researchers are looking for
• Meet our new people who have good memories of events and
The opening of the Metropolitan Branch of
Commissioners. the routine of the camp meeting. Three people
the B&O Railroad in 1873 spurred the
with extensive knowledge of the camp meeting
Page 3 development of the meeting at Washington
tradition will be interviewed during the first
Grove in 1874. Methodist ministers and laymen
• 2003 Preservation phase of work in the late Fall. The goal is that
from Washington, D.C., bought nearly 170 acres
Grants schedule. additional people will be interviewed as future
of land near Gaithersburg and the B&O
grant money becomes available. Interviews will
Page 3 accommodated the summer worshippers by
take no more than one hour, can be held at the
establishing a stop at Washington Grove. The
camp featured a wooden tabernacle under a See “Camp Meeting Project,” Page 3
 Historic Preservation called “History Tour”). Some sites, such as the
News and Notes Gaithersburg International Latitude Observatory,
the King Barn in Germantown, and the Sandy
Montgomery Preservation, Inc.
Preservation Awards Spring Slave Museum, are not often open to the
The annual Montgomery County Preservation public. Other more well known places such as the
Awards Ceremony was held May 21 at the newly Beall-Dawson House and the John Poole House,
restored Silver Spring Train Station. This year’s featured special demonstrations and exhibits. Six
Montgomery Prize went to former County M-NCPPC sites were open: Oakley Cabin in
Council member Blair Ewing for his outstanding Brookeville (open regularly on the last Saturday
work in helping to preserve County history. of every month), Woodlawn Manor in Sandy
Reenactor Anita Henderson Ewing currently teaches Political Science at Spring, the Agricultural History Farm Park in
at Oakley Cabin for Montgomery College and provides organization Derwood, the Waters House (operated by the
Montgomery County management services as a consultant to Montgomery County Historical Society), the
Heritage Days. nonprofit organizations. Other restoration/ King Dairy Barn Mooseum in Germantown, and
renovation awards went to: Chevy Chase Village the Hyattstown Mill (operated by the Hyatts-
for the Chevy Chase Village Hall, John T. Bell for town Mill Arts Project) in Hyattstown. If you
the Cottage at Quality Hill in Rockville, Maureen missed the event, many of the sites are open to
and David Neumann for Hearthstone in the public at other times. You can check out the
Washington Grove, Robert Thomas and Donna Montgomery County Historical Society website,
Maria Seyfried for Pleasant Fields in Laytonsville, www.montgomeryhistory.org to find the websites
the Olney Boys and Girls Community Sports and phone numbers of the participating sites.
Association for the rebuilding of the historic New Historic Markers
Falling Green Barn for public use, and John and Historic markers will soon mark the sites of
Kathy Lyons for the conversion of the historic Veirs Mill and of Newmantown, as well as the
HPC Commissioners Willow Grove Springhouse for private use. historically designated house and barn that were
Velasquez and O’Malley at built by merchant and farmer Oliver Watkins in
the Historic Preservation For pictures and information on these
projects, visit the Montgomery Preservation, Inc. Cedar Grove. All of these resources are located
booth at last year’s on Montgomery County parkland.
Montgomery County website at www.montgomerypreservation.org.
Birthday celebration. Montgomery County Heritage Days Celebrate the Founding of
a Big Success Montgomery County
The weather was cooperative and beautiful on the On Sunday, September 7 come help celebrate
weekend of June 28 and 29 as 28 historic sites Montgomery County’s 226th birthday at the
around the county were open with special Beall-Dawson House Historical Park, 103 West
activities and exhibits for the 6th annual Montgomery Avenue in Rockville from 12 noon
Montgomery County Heritage Days (previously to 5 p.m. There will be lectures on gold mining
in the county, the local Negro Baseball League,
and life on the “Home Front” during the Second
the Preservationist
The Preservationist is the official publication of the Montgomery County Historic
World War. Young and old can explore the
county’s history through exhibits by local
historical groups, living history presentations,
Preservation Commission, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Phone: videos, an archaeological dig, tour of the house,
301-563-3400. Statements herein do not necessarily reflect the official policies of or historical games. Historical music and good
the Commission. Created by the Historic Resources Preservation Ordinance
(Chapter 24A, Montgomery County Code) the Commission is responsible for food, including a birthday cake, will add to the
identification, designation, and regulation for purposes of protection, preservation, celebration of the Birthday of our county.
continued use, and enhancement of sites and structures of historical, archeological, Parking is available at the City of Rockville
architectural, or cultural value. Commission members are appointed by the Mont-
gomery County Executive and confirmed by the Montgomery County Council. lot on East Middle Lane and a free shuttle bus
will take you to the Park two blocks away. The
Commission event is cosponsored by the Montgomery
Susan Velasquez, Chair Julia O’Malley, Vice Chair County Historic Preservation Commission and
Steven Breslin, AIA Douglas A. Harbit Lynne B. Watkins the Montgomery County Historical Society. For
Kimberly Prothro Williams Nuray Anahtar, AIA Lee Burstyn Jef Fuller, AIA more information call 301-762-1492 or
Historic Preservation Coordinator Gwen Wright www.montgomeryhistory.org.
Requests to be on the mailing list and content information
should be directed to the Commission.

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Meet Our New Commissioners
This spring three new commissioners joined the Historic Preservation Commission, replacing 2003 Historic
retiring commissioners. One of those leaving was the Chair of the Commission Steven Preservation
Spurlock who had been on the Commission since 1996. Susan Velasquez is now the Chair Grant Fund
and Julia O’Malley is the Vice-Chair of the Commission. Schedule
July:
The HPC is very happy to welcome Nuray Anahtar, Lee Burstyn and Jef Fuller. Applications mailed to
Nuray Anahtar, AIA U.S. Department of Transportation where he interested parties,
Nuray Anahtar is an architect and the principal worked as an attorney. Mr. Burstyn has lived in advertisements placed
of NOA Architecture, Planning, Interiors of Montgomery County for twenty-five years and in newspapers.
Bethesda, Maryland. She has been living and resides in Rockville. September 30:
practicing in the Washington, D.C., area since Completed applications
1985 and has been involved in numerous
Jef Fuller, AIA
Mr. Fuller is a lifetime resident of Montgomery due.
commercial, residential, institutional, and
County and has lived in the historic Locust Hill September/October:
interior design projects. She lives in Bethesda.
property in Brookeville Maryland for the last 17 Applications processed.
Lee Burstyn years. Jef is Managing Principal of DNC
Mr. Burstyn is a real estate agent with Weichert, Architects, Inc in Rockville Maryland, involved October:
Realtors in Bethesda. He is retired from the in a wide range of commercial projects. A committee of Historic
Preservation
Commissioners reviews
applications and makes
2003 Historic Preservation Grants Available recommendations to the
The Montgomery County Historic Preservation handbooks of historic districts; feasibility studies full Commission which
Commission administers a Historic Preservation for restoration or preservation of buildings votes on the proposals.
Grant Fund of $30,000 which will be available owned or under the custody of nonprofit October 31:
for disbursement in fiscal year 2004. These organizations; research projects such as historical Applicants notified of
grants are given to nonprofit groups or or archaeological surveys; public educational awards. Notice to
municipal governments for historical activities functions such as slides shows, lectures, videos, proceed with projects is
and must be matched with local funding or in- exhibits and oral histories. issued around January
kind services by the group. 1, depending on
The HPC does not fund staffing or capital
Activities for which the Commission will improvement projects. Please see the column to completion of executed
consider a matching grant include, but are not the right for more information. documents. Completed
limited to: historic district signage; walking tour projects are due the end
of December 2004.

The Historic Preservation Section hopes to If you would like to

Camp Meeting Project receive an application
be able to develop a publication on the Camp
from Page 1 for an HPC Historic
Meeting tradition after enough interviews have
person’s home, and will be recorded on been collected and the history of the camp Preservation Grant
audiotape. Interviews will be transcribed and the meetings has been fully researched. The please call: 301-563-
interviewees will be professionally photographed Maryland Historical Trust Press has published 3400.
for a future publication. several folklore books and pamphlets that have
proved successful in raising the level of
Historic Preservation Section staff also seeks awareness of the state’s important cultural
any written or photographic memorabilia traditions. Examples include books on tobacco
associated with the Camp Meeting tradition. If farming in Cecil County, life along the Patapsco
people have newspaper articles, advertisements, River, and skipjacking on the Eastern Shore.
circulars, or photographs that can contribute to
an understanding of this important tradition, Please contact the Historic Preservation
please consider sharing the information with the Section at 301-563-3414 if you have any
staff. All material will be returned in the same information concerning the camp meeting
condition that it is received. tradition or know of anyone who does.

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 Calendar August
13 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO
October
4 Harvest Festival at the Agricultural History
Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. Farm Park in Derwood. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call
Call 301-563-3400. www.mc-mncppc.org 301-670-4661. www.montgomeryparksfnd.org
September 8 & 22 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO
7 Happy Birthday Montgomery County Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.
Celebration, Beall-Dawson House, 111 West Call 301-563-3400. www.mc-mncppc.org
Montgomery Ave., Rockville. Call 762-1492.
www.montgomeryhistory.org
November
1 Maryland Emancipation Day celebration.
10 & 24 HPC Meeting, 7:30 p.m., MRO Oakley Cabin. 12 noon to 4 p.m. Call 301-258-
Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. 4044. www.montgomeryparksfnd.org

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 recommendation 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.