The Montgomery County Historical Society

Rockville and Germantown, Maryland

Since it was founded in 1944, the Montgomery County Historical Society has believed that history is a vital part of the cultural and social fabric of Montgomery County. Montgomery County has undergone significant growth in the past sixty-one years. MCHS has grown as well, moving from an all volunteer association in 1944 to an organization that today claims a membership of more than 1,400, a professional staff of eleven and over one hundred twenty-five dedicated volunteers.

MCHS's administrative center is located at the Beall-Dawson Historical Park in Rockville. In 1965 MCHS and the City of Rockville jointly purchased the c.1815 Beall-Dawson House in Rockville. MCHS immediately opened the house for tours and began to establish the museum, library, and administrative complex that exists today. The Beall-Dawson House is the site of many of the Society's educational and interpretive programs, and it includes changing exhibit galleries and the Museum Gift Shop. In 1971 the 19th century free-standing medical office of Dr. Edward Stonestreet of Rockville was donated to MCHS and moved to the Beall-Dawson site. Today the building is known as the Stonestreet Museum of 19th Century Medicine. The Society's growing collection of research materials necessitated the hiring of a librarian in the 1970's as well as the conversion of a garage on the property to library space. Renovated in 1993 and named in honor of librarian Jane Sween in 2001, the Jane C. Sween Library offers research collections and reference services for local history.

MCHS opened the History Resource Center at the Waters House in Germantown in 2002. The History Resource Center includes space for MCHS programs and exhibits, the MCHS Special Collections Library, and the Waters House Gift Shop. The Heritage Tourism Alliance of Montgomery County, the King Barn Dairy MOOseum and the Lincoln Park Historical Foundation also have their offices in the History Resource Center.

In 2003 MCHS assumed administrative oversight of the Montgomery County Archives. Located in the Red Brick Courthouse in Rockville, MCHS makes the Archives open to the public by appointment only.