SILVER SPRING, MD—Monday, consultants employed by the Montgomery County Department of Parks briefed key parks staff and other interested parties on The Riley Farm/“Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” The briefing was to discuss the current findings of a Historic Structure Report on Uncle Tom’s Cabin prepared for the Department of Parks by consultant John Milner Associates, Inc.
“It is an exciting time for historical and cultural resources in Montgomery County parks, especially at Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” said Director of Parks Mary Bradford. “We are anxious to get people into the cabin, and tell the story of Josiah Henson—an important, influential and often misunderstood historic figure. Our goal is to open up this important historical treasure to county residents, regional visitors and beyond.”
One of the first steps in making this site available to the public is digging into the history and physical characteristics of the site itself through this Historic Structure Report. During the briefing, John Milner Associates Project Manager Terry Necciai highlighted Josiah Henson’s experience in Montgomery County, the building’s construction history, its archaeology, landscape evolution and current building conditions, among other topics.
As a next step, the Department of Parks will establish an advisory committee to provide essential input into the development of the interpretive plan for the site. The final Historic Structure Report will include two to three alternatives for rehabilitating the building to meet interpretive goals. Suggestions at Monday’s briefing will also be incorporated into the department’s ongoing work to develop the site.
“We’re partnering with the local community, setting up an advisory committee and looking to expand our collaboration with national scholars,” said Department of Parks Cultural Resources Manager Joey Lampl, during Monday’s briefing.
The Department of Parks purchased the $1 million Riley Farm/”Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” at 11420 Old Georgetown Road, in January 2006. Since that time, the department has been studying the building and grounds intensively and beginning to identify some of the interpretive possibilities for the site, such as exploring the remarkable life of Josiah Henson, explaining the difference between Josiah Henson the man and the fictional character “Uncle Tom,” revealing the extent of slavery in Montgomery County and portraying life on the site before and after the Civil War. Parks archaeologists, with consulting archaeologists, have also been digging around in areas of the yard on-site to find artifacts to help better understand this resource in public ownership.
In honor of Black History Month this year, the Department of Parks received a $3,000 donation from Shoppers Food and Pharmacy to begin to acquire artifacts for Uncle Tom’s Cabin and to cover some of the costs of invited guest speakers for a public celebration of the site, which will be held Saturday, June 28. In addition, the site will be open Sunday, June 29, as part of the annual Montgomery County Heritage Days.
“There is huge interest in the Uncle Tom’s Cabin not just from a public eager for access, but also among scholars interested in studying this resource and helping us determine how it might be interpreted,” said Bradford.
The Lincoln Park Historical Foundation, who in November honored the Montgomery County Department of Parks, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission at the 2007 Maryland African American Heritage Awards celebration for its purchase of The Riley Farm/“Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” is one group interested in a role to determine the future of the site. The group presented a proposal in January to the department’s Public Private Partnership Committee to operate the site and also attended Monday’s briefing to learn more. Other organizations attending Monday’s briefing, included Peerless Rockville, Heritage Montgomery, the Friends of Oakley Cabin and the Underground Railroad, Montgomery Preservation, Inc., the Luxmanor Citizens Association, the Maryland Commission on African American History and the Aish Center.
To stay informed about the department’s plans for Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the upcoming public celebration, visit www.ParksCulturalResources.org.
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Contact:
Kelli Holsendolph
Media Relations Manager
Montgomery County Department of Parks
301-650-2866