Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1949-02-17

Long known as THE town where
way down South begins" Rock
vile is one of Maryland's oldest
towns. On the side streets off
Montgomery Avenue, in charming,
hospitable homes, live some of the
descendants of men who helped
make it's early history.
Under it's present name, the
town dates back only to 1901, when
an Act of Legislature was passed
so designating it. But just when
the village of Rockville had its be-
ginning is as hard question to
answer as to say who was the first
inhabitant of Georgetown. We do
know that there was a village of
some sort when Braddock en-
camped near here nearly two CEN
turtles ago.
For years the settlement was
without a name until it became
known as Hungerford's Tavern.
This was prior to September z,
1776, when the lower part of Fred
erick County was set up as Mont
gomery County. After that it be-
came known on maps and docu-
ments as Montgomery Court
house." The first court was held
at the home of Leonard Davis-the
famous old Hungerford Tavern
on May 20, TIT. The first court
house was built shortly after, as
court was held in it in 1779.
A court house built in 1910 was
replaced around 1890 by what is
known now as the "Old Court
House." The handsome new Court
House was built in 1881. A product
of the Gay Nineties, the Old Court
House has fireplaces and mantels
in all rooms and halls. The detail
of the stairways and mantels are
worthy of notice.
On August 3, 1874, William
Prather Williams, an ancestor of
Walter Williams of the present
day, purchased the land around the
court house and had it surveyed.
1t was then laid off in lots and call
ed Williamsburg. During this
period, there were twenty lot own
ers, accounting for presumably
twenty houses, which with the
court house, Jail and tavern, made
what would be considered in that
day stable village.
When the town was set up in
1901 it very nearly was called
Wattsville for the Watts Branch
which has it's headwaters nearby
but it was finally decided to name
it for the more pretentious Rock
Creek, which also flows near.
A story in an early Sentinel
says, Rockville of ancient days
was a pleasant little bit of a Will
age, dreaming its days away amid
green hills. A dirt pike connected
it with Georgetown and Washing
ton, and travel was by horseback
or an occasional carriage" Later
there must have been plank or
wooden turnpike as the local libr-
airy displays certificates of shares
of stock sold for the construction
of such highway. After the canal
was built alongside the Potomac,
one could go to Georgetown by
"The Packet" The miles that now
flash by under rubber tired cars
were long and wearisome plod-
ding for old Dobbin, and it was an
all-day tri pto Georgetown and
back.
The town was Incorporated in
1861 with the privilege of three
commissioners who were appointed
by the board of county commits
sioners. At that time, 1t was still a
backward village with no sidewalk,
nor were there any paved streets.
There were then about 400 inhabi-
tants, compared with approximate
ly 5000 in 1913. In 1884, the sys-
tenn was changed to the present
one of a mayor and four council
men elected by the voters of the
town.
In 1898, Rockville's water sys-
TEN was installed as result of