March is Women’s History Month, a time to honor women’s contributions to our nation’s history. Montgomery County, Maryland was home to multiple internationally, nationally, and locally significant women, making this a great destination for women’s history buffs and visitors alike.
Sites To Visit
Tour the Clara Barton National Historic Site
5801 Oxford Road, Glen Echo, MD 20812
A nurse who founded the American Red Cross and provided medical care to soldiers during the Civil War, the heroic Clara Barton is remembered for dedicating her life to helping those in need. The Clara Barton National Historic Site in Glen Echo is notably the first national historic site in the country dedicated to the accomplishments of a woman. It sits on nine acres of land and includes the 38-room residence where Barton lived for the last 15 years of her life. The residence also served as an early headquarters and warehouse of the American Red Cross.
Free guided tours of the first floor of the home are available on the hour from 1-4 p.m., Friday-Sunday. Please note that the second and third floors are currently closed to the public.
Explore the Rachel Carson Conservation Park
22201 Zion Road, Olney, MD 20833
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, conservationist, and author of the pivotal book Silent Spring, which ultimately contributed to the advancement of the global environmental movement. Carson called Silver Spring home during the last few years of her life, and she spent her time in Montgomery County studying various environmental threats, such as pesticides and other spraying programs involving harmful chemicals.
Her passion for nature and the environment lives on through the Rachel Carson Conservation Park. Named in her honor, the park is one of the county’s premier conservation areas and includes six vibrant miles of natural surface trails that are perfect for hiking, walking, running, and exploring.
Get a Taste of Anna Maria Weems’ Journey at the Underground Railroad Experience Trail
Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park
16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
Anna Maria Weems was born into slavery in Montgomery County in 1840. She is known for gaining her freedom by dressing like a man and risking her life to escape. On September 23, 1855, she ran away to Washington, DC, and crafted an escape plan with relatives she reconnected with, after being separated from them early in her life. She then traveled to Philadelphia by carriage and met William Still, a principal conductor on the Underground Railroad who helped her get to Brooklyn. On the final stretch of her long and exhausting journey, she traveled by train to Canada to meet her aunt and uncle, who settled there years earlier. Weems was a free woman and called Canada home for the remainder of her life.
There are many others with stories similar to Anna Maria Weems’ dangerous journey to freedom. Visit the Underground Railroad Experience Trail at Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park to experience the freedom seekers’ journeys firsthand during a guided hike that allows you to follow the path they took to the North.
Women-Owned Businesses To Support
Honor Women’s History Month by pairing a visit to Montgomery County’s historic sites with a meal or drink at one of our many woman-owned eateries, restaurants, and tastemakers. See our full roundup of spots to try this month here.
