Gaithersburg: Summit Hall Farm

History: John T. DeSellum lived at Summit Hall Farm and was a slave owner and respected member of the Gaithersburg farming community. Yet he believed in the preservation of the Union at all costs. On Sunday, June 28, 1863 J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate cavalry forces occupied Rockville for a day and intended to arrest Union sympathizers. Confederate Gen. Jubal Early sent his men to Summit Hall to "search for concealed arms." John and his sister Sara were held at gunpoint as Early's men ransacked the home for food, supplies, and horses. DeSellum misled the Confederates. He writes: "One offense I admit, how many of Early's men I directed to the North Pole or how many left by crossing the Potomac southward, I only know by the large number of abandoned muskets left around my house."

More to Explore: Ten minutes southwest of here is Washingtonian Center, which provides a wide variety of shops, entertainment, and dining. This center is located on a beautiful lake front where you (and the family!) can paddle boat around the lake, enjoy a film at the theaters, or find your perfect bottle of wine.

Photo Credits:

1. "Summit Hall, Victorian Period, 1887-1937."
2. "Summit Hall, Present Day." Courtesy of Montgomery County Historical Society.