The Brookeville Maryland Historic District

The historical development of Montgomery County followed the pattern of other central Maryland counties. Unlike those of the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland, the agricultural communities here consisted of farms rather than large plantations. These farms were not as self-sufficient and, in response to their needs, many small towns sprang up. By 1879, there were nineteen villages and towns in the County; Brookeville was one of these.

The census of 1880 shows that Brookeville had the third largest population: 206 people, after Rockville's 688 and Poolesville's 287. By 1978, with all the suburban development spreading out from Washington, Brookeville retains its early flavor with many 19^th and some 18^th and 20^th century buildings and large trees enveloping the town like a canopy.

The town of Brookeville is laid out on part of a tract called Addition to Brooke Grove, one of the many parcels acquired by James Brooke the Elder, a Quaker, in April 1745. Tradition has set the founding of Brookeville in 1794 when there were a few houses, notably the Madison House, the Blue House, and the Valley House. It consisted of fifty-six lots, most of them of one-quarter acre each, ranged along two principal streets, Market and High Streets and four side streets North, South, Spring and Race Streets. The town grew and prospered as the nation grew, with demand from Europe for agricultural exports and other raw materials.

Brookeville is situated in the most fertile land in Maryland with many farms and plantations

There were blacksmiths who made agricultural implements, seed stores, carriage builder and wagon builders, a saddler and harness-maker, two doctors, a tailor, dressmakers, shoemakers, several stores, an undertaker, and a post office. Also, two excellent private boarding schools, the Brookeville Academy for boys and Mrs. Porter's cottage school for the Education of Young Ladies. A private circulating library and a debating society provided a bit of intellectual stimulus.

A Quaker village, the town was touched by war, when on the night of August 26, 1814, President Madison sought shelter for the night at the home of Caleb Bentley. Brookeville was full of refugees from the burning of Washington by the British.

United States Capital for a Day

In the 20^th century, individual artisans working in small shops gave way to large factories and well-developed transportation. Brookeville became a residential community. Even though the shops and grist mills are gone and some of the very old houses have disappeared, the town lives on with a population mixture of young and old, a viable community conscious of its heritage and anxious to preserve it. There are currently forty-five buildings in Brookeville, thirty- three of which are over fifty years old.

Community Museums Transit Stations and Libraries

New Small Business and employment begins with the training of new entrepreneurs in key skills, including: tourism operations, customer and transit services, energy savings, water resources, information and library management.

A museum, train station, bus depot, library, civic center or other similar public or private building is the point of reference to carry out the above referenced training as well as to act as info point, meeting place and event location for local residents as well as visitors from other communities acting as the point of reference in the local area for cultural and other itineraries.

Each community has Unique Capabilities and Resources

A Collaboration with your facility is open-ended, can be terminated at any time and does not impact on your current resources; where staff time is involved, it will be compensated on terms and conditions to be negotiated on a project basis.

Partial facilities use for meetings, events and the tourism info point can be paid:

o   at rates to be negotiated, or

o   in kind with equipment and services for use by the general public

The Results of this effort are: 

job creation in the community,

new revenue and tax receipts from tourism, transit and other business activities,

positioning of your structure as the community’s most important asset.

Tell Us About Your Community and Facility

Potomac River Trails

A watershed is an area of land where water collects to flow into a river, a lake, or another large body of water; we all live inside a watershed.

In collaboration with local partners, Arezza provides training, work study, other professional enrichment as well as sustainable travel services for groups and families. f you are also planning a vacation to the Potomac Region, our team manages series of eco-friendly activities:

Walking, biking, canoeing, horseback riding and more

Annapolis and Chesapeake Bay Boat Tours

Museums, Cultural Attractions & Nightlife

A Day on a Working Farm

Farmers and Arts & Crafts Markets

Unique Culinary Experiences with visits to wineries, breweries and local food producers

Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay Water Resources and the Environment. Green Infrastructure for Coastal Resiliency Maryland Ecosystem Enhancement Program and Water Trail Guides.

Anacostia River Trails

The Lower Potomac, Anacostia, Patuxent and Wicomico rivers are among the major waterways in the region, but hundreds of smaller streams, creeks and rivers abound providing numerous opportunities for recreational boating.

Anacostia River Watershed 176 square mile area of land encompasses most of the eastern half of the District of Columbia and large portions of Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland. The Anacostia has 13 major tributary creeks and streams - many with their own sub-watershed citizen advocacy groups; it starts near Bladensburg, MD, and runs for 8.5 miles before meeting the Potomac River at Hains Point in Washington, DC. 

Anacostia River Trails and Port Towns The word Anacostia is derived from the Nacotchtank Indian word anaquash; it means village trading center. In the 18th century the port at Bladensburg, Maryland, was 40 feet deep and served as a major center for colonial shipping fleets. Today, at Bladensburg Waterfront Park, site of the old port, the water often measures 3 feet deep or less. In the 18th century, the Anacostia River flowed through 2,500 acres of tidal wetlands. Today, less than 150 acres of wetland remain.

Wildlife The Anacostia River supports 188 species of birds and nearly 50 species of fish. Some of the animals you can see in and along the river include: bald eagles, beavers, white perch, ospreys, striped bass, cormorants, crayfish, herons, turtles, egrets, otters, herring, red fox, shad, kingfishers, and bullhead catfish.

Pollution and its Effect of Fish Species  Each year, Washington's antiquated combined sewer system dumps over 2 billion gallons of raw sewage and storm water directly into the river. Recent efforts have begun to reduce this overflow volume. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), more than 20,000 tons of trash and debris enter the Anacostia's waters each year. Between 1989 and 2009, AWS volunteers collected and removed more than 850 tons of trash from the watershed. Experts estimate that approximately two-thirds (2⁄3) of brown bullhead catfish in the Anacostia River have tumors. The bullhead is an environmental indicator species for the Anacostia.

Potomac River Trails

The North Branch Allegany County, Western Maryland. Start and End Point: The route begins in

Westernport and ends in Cumberland. Distance: 32 miles.

Upper Potomac River Washington, Frederick, and Allegany Maryland + Jefferson County West Virginia. Start and End Point: The route begins in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and ends in Cumberland Maryland. Distance: 115 miles.

Middle Potomac River Located in Montgomery, Frederick, an Washington Counties. Start and End Point: Georgetown, Washington D.C. to Williamsport, Maryland. Distance: 92 miles.

The Potomac River and the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal feature recreational fishing, biking, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, camping.

Lower Potomac River Prince Georges, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. 115 miles of the lower Potomac River from Washington DC to Chesapeake Bay. 

Other Southern Maryland Trails Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. The region of Southern Maryland is a peninsula bordered by the Potomac River to the west and the Chesapeake Bay to the east. Predominantly rural with areas with dense population and suburban development closer to the Washington D.C. area. Steep cliffs can be found along the Chesapeake Bay shoreline and along areas of the Potomac River. Most of the streams, creeks and rivers experience tidal influences and have brackish water - a mix of fresh and salt water.

Charles County Water Trails along Mattawoman Creek, the lower Potomac River, Port Tobacco River and Nanjemoy Creek.

Point Lookout Water Trails Point Lookout State Park - the southernmost tip of St. Mary’s County where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The State Park offers a variety of paddling experiences that range from an hour or two to all-day excursions with overnight camping options on the Point Lookout peninsula.

Kingfisher Canoe Trail Prince Georges County, Anacostia River. Set in a very urban environment, this trail features some surprisingly natural areas as it passes by the Kenilworth Marsh and Aquatic Gardens and the National Arboretum. The trail begins at the Bladensburg public boat ramp and continues down the river to end at the Anacostia Park boat ramp.

Patuxent River Water Trail Anne Arundel, Prince Georges, Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary’s counties. 110 miles long. Many public parks and launching sites for recreational boating provide additional access for visitors to enjoy the river’s resources.