SILVER SPRING, MD—Park planners are currently in the process of developing a master plan for the Josiah Henson Site (formerly called the Riley Farm/Uncle Tom's Cabin Special Park) located at 11420 Old Georgetown Road in North Bethesda and are actively seeking community input.
The 1.43 acre property contains the historic house and a small portion of a former large, slave-holding plantation owned by Isaac Riley. The master plan prepared for the park will convert the property and house into a public museum dedicated to the topic of slavery and the life of Reverend Josiah Henson, whose 1849 autobiography of slave life on the Riley plantation inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Park planners held the first community meeting on this park master plan on Tuesday, June 15, 2010. At that time, parks staff presented the story of Josiah Henson, the planning process, draft plan issues and the proposed schedule. More than 45 community members attended this first meeting to share and prioritize their visions and issues for the park. During this second community meeting parks staff will review its responses to the visions and issues identified by the public during the first meeting.
All public input gathered during this planning process will be used to help parks staff develop a concept for the park. In the fall, parks staff will present the draft master plan to the Montgomery County Planning Board, followed by a separate Planning Board public hearing on the master plan before the plan is finalized.
To submit written comments throughout the planning process, interested community members may send suggestions to Department of Parks Project Coordinator Rachel Newhouse at Rachel.Newhouse@MontgomeryParks.org.
WHO:
Montgomery County Department of Parks
WHAT:
Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan Community Meeting
WHEN:
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
7:00 pm
WHERE:
Park and Planning Headquarters
Montgomery Regional Office Auditorium
8787 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910
For more information on this park plan, visit www.ParkPlanning.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866