About Town The Kensington Historical Society Newsletter P.O.Box 453, Kensington, MD 20895 February 2013 ARE YOU IN THE SOCIETY NEWS SUMMER NEW MEETING TEAR WHAT HISTORIC Learn more about the CONCERTS DAY! DOWN? DISTRICT? Kensington Historical .Society See you June 1st! Sunday, Feb.24th See Warner Update on Check the map on Page 1. Page 2. Page 2 Page 1. Page 3. KHS PROGRAM Sunday, buildings to a public historic/cultural WARNER CIRCLE UPDATE February 24, 4 TO 5 PM: park and house museum with an For those who are new in Town, interpretive program to honor him. the property with the large mansion and carriage house Josiah Henson & Uncle Please join us for the Society’s first located across from Noyes Tom’s Cabin Sunday afternoon program! We will Library on Carroll Place is Presented by Heather Bouslog, Senior be happy to have the public join us at referred to as Warner Circle. A Archaeologist & Shirl Spicer, Museum 3:30 for coffee, cookies and large piece of land purchased by Manager M-NCPPC Montgomery socializing. We meet in the Town Brainard Warner in 1890 was Parks Hall, Lower Level, 3710 Mitchell called the Kensington Park Street in Kensington. Our program Join Montgomery Parks staff on a Subdivision, extending in an will start at 4 followed by our regular awkward outline from part of journey back in time to meet the meeting. Please invite guests and Reverend Josiah Henson whose Summit Avenue to Washington teens who might be interested in this Street to Kensington parkway to extraordinary life inspired Harriet program! Beecher Stowe's landmark novel, the Rail Station. (See print in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Retrace the steps the Town Hall lobby.) Mr. from his enslavement on the Isaac Warner subdivided the land into building lots and built his home Riley plantation to escape on the WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Underground Railroad to freedom in in this central location on Canada. Explore Reverend Henson’s Carroll Place. Skipping to the relationship to the historic Newport Patrick Weed, Patrick Realty present, the property was Mill in Ken-Gar Palisades Local Park. Col. Michele Prokopchak, USMC (Ret.) purchased by the Montgomery Learn about the historical research Susan Wranik Parks Department though the and archaeological investigations Legacy Open Space Program and conducted onsite that reveal what the And thanks to ALL who have renewed they hope eventually to restore county was like during Reverend their memberships! the original exterior of the Henson's lifetime. Learn about the home. The grounds are now a plans to convert the site and historic public (continued p.2) February 2013 www.kensingtonhistory.org 1 park. There are two late addition Summer Concerts Continue recognition, long term care, and wings on the home that were built We’re looking forward to continuing enhancement. when it was used for a nursing our tradition of Saturday Summer Rodney Little, Maryland's State home, and the current project Concerts with our 2013 Season, and Historic Preservation Oficer, includes demolition of those wings hope you are too. We try to present commented "We intend for the plan and hopefully a restoration of the a variety of music with a different to be a useful implementation tool rest of the exterior. The latest news band playing every Saturday serving diverse stakeholders - from is that the contractor has been morning, 10 to 11, from the planners, developers and heritage selected and with luck the work beginning of June until the end of tourism organizations to economic will begin by next month! September. We’re happy to have development and preservation neighbors stop and visit at the park advocates across Maryland." This year-long plan update process KHS News ~ Julie O’Malley on Howard Avenue, to have shoppers from the Farmers’ Market cross the will rely upon public participation Thank you so much for your street, and actually to have just about throughout 2013. Outreach efforts continued support of the anyone who is interested drop by for begin with an online survey currently Kensington Historical Society! lively entertainment. The little ones underway. This spring, MHT will Members and guests finished the (and not so little sometimes) just love conduct interviews with major year with a wonderful Holiday Party to dance! stakeholders and then, during May at the stately Clum house on and June, will host public forums at Kensington Parkway. Thanks to all COME INSIDE various locations statewide. who volunteered ~ we can’t do it Before you get engaged in your Following the analysis phase over the without you! Our special thanks to spring outdoor projects, come and summer, the plan will be published our hosts, Steve and Alesia Peterson. visit us at the Archives. We’re on the later this fall. The Historical Society is trying a Lower Level of the Town Hall, 3710 State historic preservation plans are new meeting schedule with our first Mitchell Street, and will be open on prepared periodically, in part, to meeting on Sunday, February 24th at Friday mornings 9:30 to 12. Can’t comply with National Park Service 4 PM. Please let us know if this make it then? Let us know when requirements. Plans must be updated timing is better for you. you’d like to come. in order for state historic ([email protected] or call ([email protected] or call preservation ofTices to remain Julie at 240-460-2548.) We are Julie at 240-460-2548) We’d love to eligible to participate in the national very excited to have this special show you around and if you’re historic preservation program. The presentation by the Parks interested you could work with our previous plan was published in 2005. Department on Josiah Henson! photo collection, historical research, You may visit the MHT website for a We are continuing in our effort to or toy collection. more detailed description of the bring information to you about the planning process and many of the key Kensington Historic District. In our MD’s State Historic Preservation issues that will be covered by the November issue we included Plan is to be Updated! plan at mht.maryland.gov/plan information about the Historic Area Press release by MD Historic Trust, The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) Work Permit process. In this issue, CROWNSVILLE, MD (February 14, is a state agency dedicated to page 3, we’ve included a map 2013) preserving and interpreting the showing the boundaries of the The Maryland Historical Trust (MHT), legacy of Maryland's past. Through Historic District. an agency of the Maryland research, conservation and As we have in the past, you can find Department of Planning (MDP), today education, the Trust assists the us supporting Kensington’s spring announced that efforts to update people of Maryland in understanding festival, the International Day of the Maryland's State Historic st their historical and cultural heritage. Book on Sunday, April 21 . Please Preservation Plan are underway. The The Trust is a division of the use the contact information above if goal of the preservation plan is to Maryland Department of Planning you would like to volunteer at our gain a full understanding of the issues and serves as Maryland's State table. For more information on the facing historical and cultural Historic Preservation Ofice (SHPO) festival itself, google “Day of the resources in Maryland and to identify pursuant to the National Historic Book.” innovative strategies for their Preservation Act of 1966. February 2013 www.kensingtonhistory.org 2 The Kensington Historic District The portion of the Kensington Historic District to the south of the railroad was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Montgomery County’s Master Plan for Historic Preservation and Chapter 24A of the County Code established the protection mechanism for the Preservation of Historic Resources in Montgomery County. In 1986, the original portion of the Kensington Historic District, along with an additional portion to the north of the railroad, was placed on the Master Plan for Historic Preservation and became protected by the County Ordinance. Above is a map of the Kensington Historic District. (For individual addresses refer to www.TOK.MD.gov under Around Town, MAPS and Historic Area.) Thank You Sponsors! Ayoub N & H Carpet & Rugs, Catch Can, The Ditto Group, David Gregg’s Tree Service & Garden Maintenance, Flotsam & Jetsam Antiques, Hardware City, The Hope Chest, In a Garden, Ltd., JennyCakes Bakery, JSA Cardozo Home Remodeling, Jubilee Association of MD, Kensington Caboose, Kensington Pharmacy, Kensington Row Bookshop, Knowles Printing Services, Logan’s Automotive, Moose, Green & Korom, PA, One-Stop Tax & Business Service, Patrick Realty Co, Inc., Precious Pals, Safeway, Sage Eclectic Consignment, Sunflowers Consignment Boutique, Susan I. Wranik Associates, LLC, Textile & Rug Museum, Washington Securities Corp. February 2013 www.kensingtonhistory.org 3 Kensington Historical Society PO Box 453 Non- Profit Kensington, MD 20895 Organization US Postage Paid RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Kensington, MD Permit No. 5022 Would you like to receive you Historical Society Newsletter by email? ______YES ______ NO Name(s): Address: Phone: E-mail: Lived in Kensington since (Year): Type of Membership Individual ($20.00) [ ] Family ($25.00) [ ] Business (small and non-profit) ($75.00) [ ] Corporations ($100.00) [ ] Lifetime (Individual & Family)($500.00) [ ] Total Enclosed: ________________ I am interested in helping on the following committees: ( Please Check) [ ] Programs [ ] Membership [ ] Newsletter [ ] Socials [ ] Concerts [ ] Preservation [ ] Calendar [ ] Archives February 2013 www.kensingtonhistory.org 4 .