Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1951-03-29
Montgomery SideIights
By Elsie White Haines

| two above mentioned women COM
mittee to decide once and for all
the location of the famous Hunger
ford Tavern that its location may
be marked. During the years
friendship have been married by
differences of opinion on the sub
ject was the old Russell
house once "Hungerfords', or was
the old tavern site on the other
side of the Court House?
October /, 1851, marks the 175th
anniversary of the establishment
of this county. In 1776 Hunger
ford's was the most important
place in the lower part of what
was then Frederick County with
the exception of Georgetown which
was part of the county at that
time. So it does seem that the
placing of a marker on the site of
the tavern would be most appro-
pirate at this time.
Mesdames Talbot, Weldon and
Haines have been greatly encour-
aged by the findings of Miss Mona
Thompson who did much research
on the subject of Hungerford's for
her history of Rockville, and by
Attorney William F. Prettyman
who searched the title of properties
along Washington Street following
the sale of the corner property at
Montgomery Avenue and Wash
ington Street. Both agree that the
Russell place was the Hungerford
Tavern-but one places the house
on lot 10, the other on lot 10.
However, before making any deci-
sion the committee is going to in
vestigate the source of the story
written by the late Miss Margaret
Fields which states that the Rus
sell house was not the famous
tavern. If anyone has any further
knowledge of the subject please
contact one of the committee.
Outstanding events at the old
tavern mentioned by Miss Thomp-
son include: Freemen of the Lower
District of Frederick County e
years later Montgomery County,
met at Hungerford Tavern in 1774
to protest taxation by Great Bri-
tain; election districts were estab-
lished in ITS at meeting at the
tavern; the first court was held at
the tavern in 1777; Davis house,
the tavern, used as court and jail
in 1778; Robert Owen (son of
Lawrence, keeper of Owens Ordin-
airy in 1850 taken for trial to
court, held in the tavern, 1878.
In her history Miss Thompson
states: Joseph Wilson inherited
from his father, Thomas Wilson,
tracts of land in Exchange" and
"New Exchange" originally sur
veyed for Arthur Nelson in 1922.
The Wilson tracts included lots
18, 10, 20 and Fl at Montgomery
Court House" (Rockvillep, located
on the southwest corner of South
Washington Street. Wilson rented
the house as a tavern in 1773 TO
Charles Hungerford, whose daught
er married Leonard Davis, who
later was keeper of the tavern.
Davis was nephew of Joseph Will
son, the latter's sister having mar
ried William Davis, Leonard's
father. These marriages of the
Wilson, Hungerford and Davis
families are important in estab-
fishing the line of inheritance, con-
tinuous ownership and occupancy
to the time of the sale and razing
of the old house in 1913"
Miss Thompson also states in
proof that: "These lots (unim-
proved) Nos. IS, 20 and 81 on
lot 10 was the house, in the town
of Rockville, were sold by the
Sheriff for State and County taxes,
due to the collector, for the years
1887, 1888, 1916 and l847, the sale
of the above property was on the
eleventh day of December, 1847.
Mrs. Susan H. Russell the purch-
aser of said lots"
Mr.. Prettyman in a talk before
the Historical Society recently,
seemed to agree with the histor-
ian. He based his conclusion on
research and quotes Scharf's His
tory in speaking of the town at
the time Frederick County was
divided into three parts on Sep
timber 6, 1776 to become effective
October 1, 1776. Scharf says:
at was a small hamlet, consist
ing of Charles Hungerford's
tavern, still standing (1S79) and
occupied by Mrs. Susan Russell
whose grandfather Joseph Wilson
built and owned it, the Anderson
house occupied by Miss Julie And
erson, and one or two others 49,.
II had no name until the erection