Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan
Project Update
Background
The Final Plan
The Plan Process
Media Center
Project Update
After extensive public outreach the Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan (3MB, pdf) was approved and adopted in December 2010. This project now moves to our Park Development Division which has begun the facility planning for this park . Visit the facility plan project web page for information on the progress of this project.
Background
Josiah Henson Special Park (formerly called the Riley Farm/Uncle Tom's Cabin Special Park) is a 1.43 acre Montgomery County historical cultural park located at 11420 Old Georgetown Road in N. Bethesda near the intersection of Tilden and Nicholson Lanes. The park contains a historic house and a small portion of a former large, slave-holding plantation owned by Isaac Riley. This project will prepare a Master Plan to convert the property and house into a public museum dedicated to the topic of slavery and the life of Reverend Josiah Henson, whose 1849 autobiography of slave life on the Riley plantation inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The Josiah Henson Site is comprised of two adjacent properties. The first, at 11420 Old Georgetown Road, is the historically significant property purchased in 2006. It includes an 1800-1815 wood frame, two-story house and an 1850 one-story log cabin wing, both remodeled in 1936 by architect Lorenzo Winslow. It also includes a detached one-car garage that is not historically significant, several mature trees, and landscaping that primarily dates to the second half of the 20th century.
The property is designated as an individual resource on the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation and is protected under local preservation law as a Historic Site where exterior and site changes require review by the Historic Preservation Commission. The property is in the process of being determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The second property, at 11410 Old Georgetown Road, was purchased in July 2009. Its house and garage were constructed in 1961 and are not historically significant. Alternatives to improve and develop the property as a historic cultural park will encompass work on both properties. For more information on this park visit the Josiah Henson Special Park web page where you will find information regarding opportunities to tour the property, additional historic background information and the Historic Structure Report (2008) for the farmhouse and cabin.
The Final Plan
Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan (3MB, pdf)
| Table of Contents | page# |
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|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the Master Plan | 3 |
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| The Park Today | 5 |
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| Site Description Opportunities Potential Constraints Transportation and Access Issues Regulatory Impacts |
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| Historic Context |
9 |
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| Guiding Documents | 10 |
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| Planning Board Approved Actions Staff Documents |
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| Plan Recommendations | 11 |
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| Plan Vision | ||
| Interpretive Themes & Strategies |
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| Goals and Objectives | 17 |
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Approved Development Option |
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| Appendices | 29 |
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Appendix 1 - Development Options Chart |
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| List of Figures | ||
| Figure 1 - Process for developing the Preliminary Program of Requirements | 3 |
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| Figure 2 -Park Locator Maps | 4 |
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| Figure 3 - The Park Today | 6 |
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| Figure 4 – Reverend Josiah Henson's Journeys through Maryland, 1789-1830 | 8 |
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| Figure 5 – 1863 Property Boundary of Riley Farm | 9 |
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| Figure 6 –Reverend Josiah Henson’s North American Travels, 1795-1830 | 10 |
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| Figure 7 - Interpretive Themes Diagram | 12 |
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| Figure 8 - Plan Drawing for the Approved Development Option | 18 |
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| Figure 9 - Pedestrian Connections Map | 25 |
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| Figure 10 - Bike Connections Map | 26 |
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| Figure 11 - Directional and Interpretive Signage, and Parking Map |
27 |
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The Plan Process
The calendar will be updated as more community meetings and events are planned for this project. Digital copies of the Plan Concept, Meeting Notes and Planning Board Memo will be attached to its calendar event when completed.
Date | Time |
Discussion Topic & Meeting Notes | Location |
|---|---|---|
2010 |
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May-June |
Staff development of park concept to be presented to the public. Public meeting noticing. Introductory PowerPoint (PDF, 100kb) | |
| June 15 |
Public Meeting #1 - Community Kick-off meeting to identify visions and issues for the project. |
Tilden Middle School |
Summer |
Staff Draft Concept Plan development based on research and community input. | |
July 26 |
CANCELLED |
Please check the Parks Calendar for the new date and time. |
RESCHEDULED Aug. 24 7-9pm |
Community Meeting #2 The public will be able to review the staff response to the public input on issues and visions voiced at the first public meeting. PowerPoint Presentation (PDF, 1.9MB) Meeting Notes & Handouts (PDF, 400KB) | M-NCPPC Main Regional Office (MRO) 8787 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
September 16 7:30pm |
Planning Board Staff Draft Plan Review. The Staff Draft of the Master Plan for this park is available for public review and will be presented to Planning Board on this date. A copy of the memo, draft plan and appendices will be posted on the Planning Board Agenda under - item #18. PowerPoint presentation (PDF, 128KB). Watch the meeting video. | M-NCPPC - Montgomery Regional Office Auditorium 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
| October 28 | Planning Board Public Hearing - Montgomery County Planning Board review. Item #9 to review the Public Hearing Draft(PDF, 352KB). Watch the public hearing video. | M-NCPPC - Montgomery Regional Office Auditorium 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 |
December 2 |
Planning Board Work Session for the Final Park Master Plan. - A copy of the memo and attachments are posted on the Planning Board Calendar Agenda item #13, Attachment D (PDF, 306KB).. PowerPoint Presentation (PDF, 2.08MB) |
M-NCPPC - Montgomery Regional Office Auditorium |
| December 2, 2010 - During a final worksession the Planning Board approved and adopted the Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan (3MB, pdf) | ||
SPRING 2011 - This project now moves to our Park Development Division which has begun the facility planning for this park . Visit the facility planning project web page for information on the progress of this project. Contact the project manager, Eileen.Emmet@MontgomeryParks.org at 301-495-2550 with questions and comments |
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Media Center
- November 24, 2010 - The Gazette, Letter to the editor: Josiah Henson home a special place
- October 7, 2010 - M-NCPPC Parks Staff response to October 4th Washington Post article
- October 7, 2010 - Washington Post, Letter to the editor: Montgomery County was right to buy 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'
- October 4, 2010 - Washington Post, Confusion over history of Md. cabin museum, by Annys Shin
- September 21, 2010 - Bethesda Patch,Museum Proposal for Uncle Tom's Cabin Unveiled, by Cody Switzer
- September 17, 2010 - The Gazette, Historic Bethesda park could become active museum, by Alex Ruoff
- June 15, 2010 - WUSA-TV: Uncle Tom's Cabin Turning Into Historical Site and Museum, by Alex Trevino
- June 23, 2010 - The Gazette, Residents Urge Interactivity at Josiah Henson Museum,by Erin Donaghue
Master Plan Coordinator
Rachel Newhouse, Project Coordinator
Montgomery County Department of Parks
E-mail: Rachel.Newhouser@MontgomeryParks.org
Phone: 301-650-4368
back to top - Last update: September 15, 2011
Montgomery County Department of Parks