Projects Update
The Civil War in Germantown exhibit
The Germantown Historical Society is creating a traveling exhibit on the Civil War in Germantown for the sesquicentennial comemmoration of the Civil War. The exhibit will be on display at the Society's headquarters at the Historic Germantown Bank, and will be available for special events at other venues in Germantown. In addition we are making the images and text of the exhibit available to local schools that might want to have a display on the Civil War at their school.
Save the Cider Barrel
The Cider Barrel has long been an icon for Germantown. It was built in the 1920s to sell apple cider from the Ballincar Orchard in Germanown and took advantage the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the sale of alcohol by advertising its cider as being "clear and sweet." People came from as far away as Washington to buy this cider. As an example of roadside novelty architecture there is not anything like it anywhere. It was made a County historic site in 1989. For more information on the history of the Cider Barrel see the Newsletter.
In the revision of the Germantown Master Plan currently being considered the Montgomery County Planning Board is recommending that the Cider Barrel be moved from its present location to the Town Center. We feel that this would destroy any historical significance that the building has as at another location it could be a symbol of anything -- even a beer barrel advertising the annual Okterberfest--instead of the prohibition symbol it was built to be.
To support the efforts to Keep the Historic Cider Barrel in its historic location please write a letter to the Park and Planning Commission.
Send letters to:
Chairman
Montgomery County Planning Board
8787 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Dear Chairman,
Please change the Planning Board's Germantown Masterplan revision to indicate that the historic Cider Barrel cannot be moved, even if there is not a business operating in it.
To move this icon of Germantown to any other location would destroy its historical significance.
To keep it where is was built is very important to the citizens of Germantown as it is an important symbol and landmark of our community.
Oral History Projects
The Germantown Historical Society is conducting an oral histories of local residents on an on-going basis. The oral histories will be transcribed and will include photographs and biographies of those interviewed. The interviews will be done by non-professionals who will be trained by professional interviewers. Copies of the finished product will be given to the Germantown Library, the Montgomery County Historical Society, and local schools.
If you know of someone we should interview, or are interested in becoming a part of this project please call 301-972-2707 and leave your name and phone number (and e-mail).
Black Rock Log House
The Black Rock Log House on Black Rock Road is on the Locational Atlas (see “Historic Preservation Process” following) and needs to be placed on the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications as part of a larger property that contains radio towers. There is a person who would like to have this log house to fix up and live in. If we can place the house on the Master Plan perhaps the owner will then want to donate the property to a non-profit organization, like Montgomery Preservation or the GHS, instead of restoring the house themselves.
The GHS is working on an a Maryland Historical Trust application that will enable the property to be considered for placement on the Master Plan.
It is a wonderful example, readily visible from the road, of the use of logs sawn at the nearby Black Rock Mill which has been partially restored and signed by Montgomery County for the interpretation of historic mills.
