The 18th Montgomery County History Conference will return as an in-person event for the first time since 2020, with the full day of activities on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Montgomery College in Rockville. The event will include a keynote address on “Black Chevy Chase” and breakout sessions “The Du-Drop Inn of Emory Grove” and the “Historic Homes and Barns of the Agricultural Reserve.”
The conference traditionally offers a myriad of opportunities to engage with local history. It is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Theatre Arts & Science Center of Montgomery College, which is located at 51 Mannakee Street in Rockville.
The morning keynote address about the “Black Chevy Chase” will discuss the wide variety of techniques, not just restrictive covenants, used to prevent homeownership and development by Blacks in the early 20th Century.
In addition to breakout sessions on the Du-Drop Inn and the historic homes and barns of the Ag Reserve, breakout sessions will focus on the families of the Agricultural History Farm Park, Sentinel publisher Rebecca Fields, a history of enslavement in Kensington, the County's Poor Farm, the seven enslavers who have public schools named for them and new techniques for indigenous archaeological research.
The conference will conclude with "A Rockville Journal," a peek back to 1850s Rockville with a portrayal of a local attorney by actor Steve LaRocque.
After that presentation, the conference will have a happy hour reception.
Tickets for the event are $65, plus a $6.21 fee. To purchase tickets, click here. Student registration for $15 is available by emailing proof of student status to Matt Gagle at MGagle@MontgomeryHistory.org.
A full schedule, session descriptions, and more information can be found at the event’s website.