Civil War Places (Still) in Town

Few Civil War era pictures exist of Rockville.  Photography was a still nascent craft at the time.  It was expensive relatively and difficult to master with no stock supplies nor standardization.  Big cities might have one or two studios and occasionally a traveling photographer might set-up temporarily in a populated area.  Most photos from this period are portraits as this was the most common use for capturing images.  Also, exposure times were slow so nothing moving, even slowly, could be captured as a clear image.  So things such as street scenes or candid images were seldom attempted.  Pioneering practitioners such as Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner were just beginning to take photography into the field during the war, to document it.  They are famous for showing horrific post battle scenes, including dead soldiers, to a public naive about the real conduct of warfare.  This subject was a good fit to the state of the technology.   What better still subjects than no longer animate people.  And it was far safer to document the aftermath of battle than be caught in its midst.  Plus, as battle was often unpredictable, it took time to move bulky equipment to a site.

Since few contemporaneous photos exist, modern pictures of assorted Civil War era sites are shown here.  You may have to apply your imagination to how the original structures appeared, without subsequent additions, modifications or present treatments.  [Note: Some period photos appear on the "Then & Now" page (click here).]  

photo credit: David Hill

St. Mary's Catholic Church has stood here since 1817.  It overlooks what many consider the cross-roads of Montgomery County, the intersection of historic Georgetown to Frederick north-south road and Darnestown (and Potomac River) to Washington east-west roads.  Today these roads remain vital routes 355 and 28 in the County, even though their names and precise configurations have changed in time.  This is the oldest Catholic church and oldest church in continuing use, in Montgomery County.  This building did not have a conspicuous role in Civil War events, although it stood as a landmark astride this important road juncture. The author F. Scott Fitzgerald is buried in the churchyard cemetery, just to the left in this picture.

photo credit: David Hill

Beall-Dawson House was home to the Beall sisters throughout the Civil War era.  It was the homestead of a large estate covering much of the West End, north of West Montgomery Drive.  The Beall family owned slaves that worked the farm.  The house today is home to the Montgomery County Historical Society.  It is well preserved and open to the public.  Note, in about the middle of this picture is the likely spot that James Hill was shot and collapsed during the Battle of Rockville.  He was taken into the house and nursed by the Beall sisters, probably saving his life.  Click here for more on this story.

photo credit: David Hill

Higgins House, the home of John and Dora Higgins and family.  The Higgins operated a general store off Commerce Lane.  John was a town commissioner and ardent Unionist.  He was arrested when JEB Stuart's cavalry came to Town.  Dora was left to fend off Confederate troopers from raiding their store, tend to their children, and determine the fate of her husband.  Her subsequent letter describing the day, to her mother, is the best civilian account of what occurred.  Click here for her letter.  Note, the house originally faced Middle Lane.  The wing to the right is the enclosed original front porch.  The current entrance off Adams Street is a later modification.  This was the original side of the house.

photo credit: David Hill

Prettyman House, on Jefferson Street, home of the Prettyman family, who were secessionist in loyalties.  JEB Stuart and his officers are reputed to have lunch at the house during their visit to Rockville, at the invitation of Mr. Prettyman

Note:  It is conspicuous that the remaining Civil War era structures in modern Rockville, are mostly residences and churches.  The civic buildings either did not exist by 1865 or were long since rebuilt for larger capacity.  The courthouse, Rockville Academy, and the jail (at the NE corner of Maryland Ave. and Fleet St. today) were about the extent of public buildings in 1865.  There was no County office building(s), nor City Hall, nor even a distinct post office.  The courthouse served all city and county government operations (not just judicial proceedings).  The post office was typically in the storefront of whichever person was serving currently as postmaster.  Commercial structures from the period are also absent in the modern City.  It may be tempting to decry urban renewal for the destruction of the majority of such structures along Rockville's historic Montgomery Avenue main street, and other commercial thoroughfares such as Commerce Lane and Washington Street.  While urban renewal took its final toll on the remnants of historic commercial structures, the combination of out-growing the older buildings, a desire to continuously upgrade commercial structures as salesmanship, and the general less substantial construction of many places for business, had pretty well reduced the Civil War era commercial stock of buildings by the mid-20th century.  In all, perhaps it is fitting that where Rockville citizens lived and exercised their beliefs and convictions, have more permanence or received more loving care, than other forms of personal endeavor.  It signals important values for our town.

© 2006, Peerless Rockville, Historic Preservation Ltd.