"A Town Within A Forest": The Walking Tour of Washington Grove, 1873-Present

Abstract

The town of Washington Grove is uniquely placed in the middle of the suburban development of Montgomery County, Maryland. The Washington Grove Camp Meeting Association (WGCMA) was originally founded in 1873 and was dedicated to creating a ?safe? environment for the people of Washington, D.C. to gather and worship. Today, the WGCMA no longer exists as the town of Washington Grove was incorporated in its place in 1937 and the WGCMA dissolved. This theses examines how Washington Grove showcased the ?white flight? of the late nineteenth century; how the people of the WGCMA set foundations for the town'scurrent nature conservation practices; and WGCMA'srelationship with the neighboring African American camp meeting, Emory Grove. Washington Grove'sinteractions with Emory Grove demonstrate that race relationships in the Camp Meeting Movement were complicated at best. This theses directly influences my digital walking tour of the town of Washington Grove.