PLENTY Spring 2020 Plenty Spring 2020-WEB | Page 20

nity founded in the early 1800s.
The Quakers built a meeting
house in 1814 to serve the religious
needs of the area. The meeting house
defined the larger area as members
within a six-mile radius could travel
to Sandy Spring by horse or carriage
and be back home before sunset. The
greater Sandy Spring area there-
fore refers to the communities of
Brookeville, Olney, Brighton, Spen-
cerville, Laytonsville, and Norbeck.
The Sandy Spring Historic Dis-
trict, in the center of town, preserves
the 1817 Meeting House, the general
store, bank, and fire insurance com-
pany. While the area has been devel-
oped over the years losing much of its
agricultural atmosphere, a visitor can
still see some of the finest old homes
and landmarks in the county on lands
and Rustic Roads surrounding the
town. The Sharp Street Church and
Odd Fellows Lodge stand as remind-
ers that Sandy Spring was home to
one of the first free black communi-
ties in the county.
Also in the Sandy Spring area,
you can visit the Sandy Spring Slave
Museum which preserves history
from African homelands through the
present day, the Sandy Spring Mu-
seum which hosts a variety of cultural
programs year-round, and Wood-
lawn Manor Cultural Park. Woodlawn
features a number of early buildings
dating from the 1800s; the stone
barn exhibits highlight the stories of
enslaved and free blacks, Quakers,
and the Underground Railroad. Along
trails in the surrounding landscape,
the Underground Railroad Experience
Trail lets visitors experience what
escaping freedom seekers might have
encountered and felt. The National
Capital Trolley Museum features trol-
ley history, exhibits and rides on the
restored trolley cars.
After exploring history in towns
and along country roads, keep an
eye out for fabulous farm stands and
make an evening of it with a stop at
one of the local craft breweries before
taking in a show at Olney Theatre. To
find out more go to HeritageMont-
gomery.org.
Sarah Rogers, Executive Director of Heritage Montgomery, is an interpretive planner,
designer, and executive in the areas of resource protection and development. She provides
leadership in the areas of education, outreach, and stewardship to natural, cultural, and
historical sites, parks, and museums at a federal, state, and local level.
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Gaithersburg MD
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