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Lincoln Park, one of the first real estate ventures for African-American homeowners in Montgomery County, is a suburban community begun in the 1890's that retains the feeling of a small town within the borders of Rockville. Lincoln Park residents have maintained strong ties to kin and community for generations, and descendants of many original homeowners still live in Lincoln Park.
About 40 communities in Montgomery County were settled by freed slaves in the 19th century. Many of these settlements still survive, including the Rockville communities of Lincoln Park, Haiti/Martin's Lane, and Janetta. [1]
Blacks generally had the opportunity to buy only marshy or rocky land, bad for farming and therefore not wanted by whites. Land ownership provided an important step towards greater prosperity. [2]
In spite of numerous obstacles, black communities of Montgomery County thrived in the early years of this century. In Rockville, black citizens owned farms and other businesses, drove the first cabs, and began the city's first volunteer fire department. [3]
In 1891, Union veteran William Wallace Welsh bought 8.06 acres of "Valentine Gardens Enlarged" at $100 an acre from Chandler Keys. This property was adjacent to properties already owned by blacks. He subdivided the land into quarter-acre lots, 50' wide by 200' deep, and sold them for $80 each.
Welsh ran a general store for over 40 years in the structure now known as the Wire Hardware Building. Early residents of Lincoln Park were regular customers and employees of Welsh's store. Welsh's was later known as Ward Brothers, and then as Wire and Lanier.
Lincoln Park now comprises several areas: the original 1891 Lincoln Park Subdivision, now the eastern portion of Lincoln Avenue; Welsh's 1892 First Addition to Lincoln Park now the east side of Douglass Avenue and the western portion of Lincoln Avenue; England's Second Addition, which more than doubled the size of Lincoln Park in 1926; the Griffith tract of 1906; and two apartment complexes, Rocklin Apartments and Lincoln Terrace.
Pre-Lincoln Park residents included Sidney and Solomon Williams, Priscilla Powers, Reuben and Rachel Hill, Susan Hebron, Wallace Martin and Charles Warren. The Hills, Palmers, Prathers, Howards, Shelton, Davises, and Johnsons were some of the original Lincoln Park families. [4]
Through World War II, the men of Lincoln Park worked as skilled craftsmen and as laborers on surrounding farms, on the B&O Railroad, at Hickerson's Mill, and at other Rockville businesses. Women generally worked as domestics in Rockville's West End or as midwives. Women also worked in the city's three hotels, including the Woodlawn Hotel, which later became Chestnut Lodge, a renowned psychiatric hospital. [5]
Lincoln Park was annexed to the city in 1949-50. Residents interviewed were unanimous in saying the biggest change in the history of Lincoln Park was the installation of utilities and the paving of roads. These services improved daily life immeasurably. Though most families had cars, dirt roads became impassible in bad weather.
That Lincoln Park maintains so much of its historic character in the midst of Rockville's expansion is a testament to the strength and values of its families. Lincoln Park celebrated its centennial in June of 1991.
"… I hope I live very much in the present and recall the past with joy… I remain a combination of eternal girl and strong, realistic woman, a compelling blend and as pure as unalloyed steel."
The above quote found in a letter from Wilma Bell's mother sums up the feeling of unity and strength in Lincoln Park.
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Footnotes
[1] Pamela Porter, "Preserving a Fading Past/Fading Away: Blacks Try to Preserve Their Land, Heritage," Montgomery Journal, Nov. 15, 1988, p. 1.
[2] Carol Kruzoff, "Montgomery's Black Families: Researcher Compiles History" (Washington Post, Feb. 22, 1979) Maryland Weekly, p. 1 and George McDaniel, "Black Historical Resources in Upper Western Montgomery County: (Dickerson, MD, Sugarloaf Regional Trails, 1979) p. 8.
[3] James B. Moone, "Black Community Traces Its County Roots: Achievements of 110 Years to be Studied," Montgomery Journal, Oct. 23, 1984.
[4] Sharyn Duffin, "A Study of Historic Sites in the Metropolitan Regions of Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland Importantly Related to the History of Afro-Americans: Lincoln Park" (Washington, D.C.: Afro-American Institute for Historic Preservation and Community Development, August 1978) p. 37-38.
[5] Ibid. p. 39.