PLENTY Spring 2020 Plenty Spring 2020-WEB | Page 19

Oakley Cabin (top) inhabited until
1976, serves as a living history mu-
seum; the Sandy Spring Museum
(middle) evolved from a traditional
history museum into a dynamic,
participatory cultural arts commu-
nity center; the Woodlawn Museum
(bottom) features interactive exhibits
about the area’s agricultural land-
scape, the Underground Railroad, lo-
cal free black communities, and the
Quaker experience in the County.
African American communities,
many of which still survive today.
Oakley Cabin, an 1820s log home
just outside Brookeville, was once a
part of a tiny roadside community.
It is open to the public interpreting
daily life during the reconstruction
era immediately after the Civil War.
During the War of 1812, for
a night and a day Brookeville
sheltered the 4th president of the
United States, James Madison. On
August 26, 1814, fleeing the disas-
trous Battle of Bladensburg and
the ensuing burning of Washing-
ton by British forces, Madison and
his troops took refuge in Brookev-
ille at the home of Caleb Bentley.
Now known as Madison House, the
home was not only a residence but
was also used as a post office and
bank. It is thought to have been a
stop on the Underground Railroad.
Today, Brookeville is an island
buffered by parklands. Reddy
Branch Stream Valley, Hawlings
River and Rachel Carson Conser-
vation Parks offer miles of hiking
trails through meadows, along
the creek sides and through old
growth forests. The Patuxent River
State Park Visitor Center provides
weekly programs and guided hikes.
Just down the road is Sandy
Spring, another Quaker commu-
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