Exploring Rockville's Hidden History: 7 Landmarks That Tell America's Story

Standing in the center of Rockville's historic courthouse square feels like stepping onto a living timeline of American judicial history. As someone who's visited courthouses across the country (often while chaperoning debate team competitions), I can tell you that Rockville's 1891 Red Brick Courthouse stands apart for its accessibility and the stories it contains.

The district encompasses not just the iconic courthouse but a progression of judicial buildings that span from 1891 to the present day—a visual evolution of American justice architecture. For families, this creates a perfect opportunity to discuss how our legal system has grown and changed. My favorite approach is to start at the oldest building and work forward chronologically, asking kids to spot the differences in design and consider why they might have changed.

The Red Brick Courthouse, with its distinctive clock tower, served as Montgomery County's judicial center until 1931. Today, it houses a museum with interactive exhibits that even younger children find engaging. The docents here are exceptional—many are retired teachers who understand how to connect with young visitors. When I visited last fall, a volunteer named Margaret had my friend's 9-year-old son completely captivated with stories about famous cases that had been tried within these walls.

Don't miss the small but significant exhibit on the lower level that documents the courthouse's role during the civil rights movement. It's a sobering but important reminder of how recently the struggle for equality played out in these very halls.

If baseball has taught me anything, it's that understanding the fundamentals is essential before appreciating the finer points of the game. The same applies to history—and there's no better place to grasp the fundamentals of 19th-century American life than the Beall-Dawson House.

Built in 1815 for Upton Beall, the clerk of the Montgomery County Court, this Federal-style brick house offers families a tangible connection to daily life in early America. What makes this site particularly valuable for children is the contrast it presents: the formal rooms where the wealthy Beall family entertained guests versus the stark quarters where enslaved people worked and lived.

The Montgomery County Historical Society has done an exceptional job creating age-appropriate ways to engage with difficult history here. My recommendation is to call ahead and book one of their Family Discovery Tours, where kids can try on period-appropriate clothing (my personal favorite is watching children realize how many layers people wore before air conditioning!) and handle reproduction objects from the era.

The property also includes a doctor's office from the 1850s that was moved to the site. The medical instruments and remedies displayed here never fail to elicit gasps from children—and provide an excellent opportunity to discuss how far medical science has progressed.

Before visiting historic homes, I always recommend families read a bit about the period together. A children's history book with good illustrations can provide context that makes the experience much more meaningful. The gift shop also sells several excellent titles specifically about Montgomery County history that make great souvenirs.

Few things capture a child's imagination quite like trains, which makes the restored 1873 Rockville B&O Railroad Station a home run for family visits. Standing on the platform of this Victorian Gothic station—the oldest surviving railroad station in Montgomery County—I'm always struck by how it connects to broader themes of American expansion, commerce, and community development.

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad transformed not just Rockville but the entire concept of American mobility. This beautifully preserved station tells that story through engaging exhibits that appeal to multiple age groups. The main waiting room has been restored to its 1920s appearance, complete with period-appropriate furnishings and ticketing equipment.

What makes this site especially valuable for families is the model train display that operates on weekends. Volunteer conductors are incredibly knowledgeable and patient with children's questions. My last visit coincided with a visit from my colleague's family, and her train-obsessed 6-year-old spent nearly an hour asking detailed questions about how steam engines work—all of which were answered with enthusiasm.

The station's location is also ideal—it sits directly adjacent to the modern Metro station, allowing for discussions about how transportation has evolved. I recommend bringing a travel journal for kids to sketch the differences between historic and modern trains. This kind of comparative observation builds critical thinking skills while they're having fun.

Don't miss the small exhibit about the station's role in the Civil War, when the railroad became strategically crucial for moving Union troops. The station changed hands several times during the conflict, and the displays include archaeological artifacts recovered from the grounds.

Some historical sites require more emotional preparation than others, especially when visiting with children. Josiah Henson Park is one such place—a site that demands thoughtfulness but rewards visitors with profound insights into our nation's painful struggle with slavery and the inspiring stories of resistance and resilience.

The park preserves the former plantation property where Reverend Josiah Henson was enslaved from 1795 to 1830. Henson's autobiography later inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel "Uncle Tom's Cabin." As an educator and an African American man, I find this site particularly moving—it connects literary history with the very real experiences of enslaved people.

The recently renovated visitor center provides age-appropriate materials for discussing slavery with children. My approach has always been honesty tempered with sensitivity to developmental stages. The junior ranger program here is excellent, offering different versions for various age groups. For younger children (ages 6-9), the focus is more on Henson's courage and journey to freedom, while older children engage with more complex historical concepts.

Archaeological work continues on the property, and depending on when you visit, you might see active digs in progress. The staff archaeologists are wonderful about explaining their work to curious visitors—my last visit coincided with the discovery of artifacts from the kitchen quarters, and watching children's faces as they realized they were witnessing history being literally unearthed was remarkable.

The park's walking trail includes thoughtful interpretive signs with QR codes that link to additional resources. I recommend parents preview some of this material before visits with very young children, as some content appropriately reflects the harsh realities of enslavement.

Baseball fans know that understanding a team's history enriches appreciation of its present. Similarly, understanding Rockville's agricultural past provides context for its current identity. King Farm—once one of Montgomery County's largest agricultural operations and now a mixed-use planned community—offers families a unique opportunity to explore how American land use has evolved.

The original King Farm was established in the 1920s and operated as a dairy farm until the late 20th century. Today, the 430-acre property has been transformed into a new urbanist community, but thoughtful preservation efforts have maintained key historical structures and integrated them into public spaces.

Start your exploration at the King Farm Farmstead Park, where the original dairy barn, main house, and several outbuildings have been preserved. The interpretive signs include historical photographs that make it easy for children to visualize how dramatically the landscape has changed. The contrast between these historic agricultural buildings and the surrounding modern development creates natural opportunities to discuss land use, sustainability, and community planning with older children.

What makes King Farm particularly interesting for families is the way it demonstrates adaptive reuse of historical structures. The former dairy barn now serves as a community center, while other farm buildings have been repurposed for new uses. For children interested in architecture or engineering (I've found many baseball-loving kids also enjoy structural design), this presents fascinating examples of how to honor history while meeting contemporary needs.

The community's extensive trail system makes exploration easy and enjoyable. I recommend bringing a digital camera so children can document the historical structures and create before-and-after comparisons using the historical photos on the interpretive signs.

Cemeteries might seem like unusual destinations for family outings, but as an educator, I've found they offer unparalleled windows into local history. Rockville Cemetery, established in 1738, is one of Montgomery County's oldest burial grounds and presents a remarkable opportunity for families to connect with nearly three centuries of American stories.

Before you dismiss the idea of bringing children to a cemetery, consider this: these peaceful grounds contain a wealth of information about art, symbolism, changing attitudes toward death, immigration patterns, epidemics, and countless other historical threads—all presented in a way that naturally sparks curiosity rather than fear.

The cemetery's location on a gentle hillside provides beautiful views and a serene setting for exploration. For families, I recommend turning your visit into a respectful scavenger hunt: look for the oldest gravestone you can find, symbols like weeping willows or clasped hands, changing styles of monuments over time, or evidence of major historical events like the Civil War.

The cemetery contains the graves of prominent local figures, Revolutionary and Civil War veterans, and ordinary citizens whose stories collectively tell Rockville's history. The diversity of monuments—from simple 18th-century headstones to elaborate Victorian memorials—provides a visual timeline of changing American funerary practices.

One particularly moving section contains the graves of enslaved people, marked now with simple stones. These modest monuments provide powerful opportunities to discuss how we remember—or fail to remember—all members of our communities throughout history.

Before visiting, I suggest establishing clear expectations for respectful behavior with children. In my experience, when the historical significance is explained appropriately, even young visitors approach the site with natural reverence.

Every great baseball game needs a seventh-inning stretch, and Rockville Town Center provides the perfect relaxing conclusion to your historical exploration. While primarily modern, this vibrant downtown area incorporates historical elements that help tie together the stories you've encountered throughout your journey.

The town square features several interpretive displays chronicling Rockville's evolution from small crossroads to county seat to suburban center. These well-designed panels include historical photographs positioned so visitors can compare past and present views from the same vantage point—an exercise that children find surprisingly engaging.

The F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald gravesite in St. Mary's Cemetery, adjacent to the town center, connects Rockville to literary history. The author of "The Great Gatsby" and his wife are buried here, their final resting place marked by a gravestone inscribed with the famous closing line from his masterwork. For families with older children who may have encountered Fitzgerald's work in school, this creates a meaningful literary connection.

The town center also hosts a weekly farmers market and frequent cultural events that often highlight local history. Check the events calendar before your visit, as these programs frequently include family-friendly historical demonstrations or performances.

After a day of historical exploration, the town center's variety of family-friendly dining options provides welcome refreshment. My personal recommendation is to end your historical journey with ice cream at Carmen's Italian Ice & Cafe—their outdoor seating area overlooks the town square and provides the perfect spot for reflecting on all you've learned throughout your Rockville history adventure.