Rockville

Address: 
South Washington Street near Vinson Street, Rockville, MD 20850

Rockville

History: Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart's forces entered Rockville on June 28, 1863. During his visit, Stuart learned of a large supply-wagon train heading north from Washington on Rockville Pike to the Union forces then concentrating around Frederick. Stuart sent Col. Chambliss to capture and secure the wagons, as Stuart continued onto Rockville's Court House Square. The cavalrymen arrested about 400 men. Rockville residents, despite conflicting loyalties, defended their neighbors' freedoms. Rockvillians were united by community. When troopers ordered Dora Higgins to open the doors to the family store, she refused and kept the Confederates at bay. General J.E.B. Stuart could not afford to antagonize Southern sympathizers, and used supplies from a captured Union wagon train to answer his men's needs.

More to Explore: Don't miss the Stonestreet Museum of 19th-Century Medicine where you can investigate medical practices of the 1800s in a freestanding doctor's office, circa 1852. Then explore the Beall-Dawson House, an 1815 historic house museum with a beautiful 19th-century heirloom garden. While in town, see if you can find the Confederate soldier statue located on the grounds of the old court house, a symbol of the southern sympathies once prominent in this area. Then, stretch your legs and enjoy the outdoors at Rockville's Monument Park where you will find picnicking areas, softball/baseball fields, basketball courts, and outdoor grills for barbequing. Rockville also offers a wide variety of shopping and dining venues in the town center.

Photo Credits:

  1. “Skyline of Downtown Rockville, Maryland.” Original photo courtesy of, David Podgor
  2. “Rockville – Middle La at Gibbs St.” Photo Courtesy of, Andrew Bossi Wikimedia Commons under CC-BY-SA-2.5; http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2008_10_11_-Rockville_-_Middle_La_at_GibbsSt.jpg
  3. “Looking Down East Middle Lane.” Photo Courtesy of, Wikipedian1234 Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 3.0; http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:East_Middle_Lane_Rockville_Maryla...
  4. “View of Rockville Railroad Station and Freight House.” Photo Courtesy of, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, MD-238-18