Montgomery Parks: Park Planning & Stewardship

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in the Parks Josiah Henson Special Park
11420 Old Georgetown Road
North Bethesda, MD 20852
Information: 301-650-4373
Hours of Operation
Open for special events only
EVENTS | GROUP TOURS | PARKING & WEATHER | | HISTORY | RESEARCH | RESOURCES
Josiah Henson Park is located on the historic Isaac Riley Farm in North Bethesda where the
Reverend Josiah Henson lived and worked as a slave from 1795 to 1830. This park is a historic
resource of local, state, national and international significance because of its association with
Reverend Henson, whose 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a Slave, inspired
Harriet Beecher Stowe's landmark novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The park is currently open only during
a limited number of dates each season. Mark your calendar with the upcoming 2013 special events.
All events are free and open to the public.
The Josiah Henson Park is part of the National Park Service National Underground
Railroad Network to Freedom program.
After extensive public outreach the master plan for the development of Josiah Henson Park was
approved and adopted in December 2010. This project now moves to our Park Development Division
which has begun the facility planning for this park. Visit the facility planning project web page for
information on the progress of this project.
Time Team America at Josiah Henson Park!
"The Search For Josiah Henson" Premieres Tuesday, August 19, 2014 on PBS
The Josiah Henson archaeological site was one of four American sites selected by Time Team
America for inclusion in their second season. Time Team America brought their high-tech equipment
to help Park Archaeologists learn more about a very special man in American History, Josiah
Henson. "The Search for Josiah Henson", is an over-the-archaeologists'-shoulder view of discoveries
made at our very own Josiah Henson Park!
Group Tours
Montgomery Parks is proud to be able to offer Group & School Tours of the Josiah
Henson Park, one of our most prominent historic sites to the public. All tours will be presented by
trained guides who will make history come alive for your group.
Parking & Weather
Parking
Parking is ONLY available just around the corner at the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center, located 1.5
blocks away at 5900 Executive Blvd., North Bethesda. (0.2 miles). Click on the map at right for a
closer look or download a detailed walking map (pdf, 1.4MB) or use a Google map.
Inclement Weather
In the event of severe weather, please call ahead to confirm the park will be open before traveling to
the site.
Call 301-650-4373 for a recorded message of the most current park event hours.
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History
The Josiah Henson Park (formerly called the Riley Farm/"Uncle Tom's Cabin")
is a historic resource of local, state, national and international significance because of its association
with Reverend Josiah Henson, whose 1849 autobiography, The Life of Josiah Henson, Formerly a
Slave, Now an Inhabitant of Canada, as Narrated by Himself, inspired Harriet Beecher Stowe's
landmark novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The Riley Farm was where Henson lived and worked as a slave
from 1795 to 1830. The existing structure was the home of Isaac and Matilda Riley. The frame
portion dates to 1800-1815, based on nail chronology. The log wing, built as a kitchen with a loft,
dates to 1850-51 based on dendrochronology (tree ring analysis).
Many of Henson's experiences of living as a slave on the Riley property are vividly depicted in his
autobiographies and are recreated in Stowe's novel. Henson eventually escaped to Canada in 1830,
where he established a fugitive slave community called Dawn and became a minister, speaker and
writer. He returned to the United States several times between 1831 and 1865 as a conductor on the
Underground Railroad.
The impact of Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, should not be underestimated. Published in 1852, it
broke all sales records of the time and sold over half a million copies by 1857. It inspired and
enflamed the abolitionist movement in the mid-19th century and many believe it helped to propel the
American Civil War.
Because of the historical associations of the Josiah Henson Park there is perhaps no property in
Montgomery County that conjures up images of slavery and the slave experience as much as this
resource. The goal for the interpretation of the Josiah Old Victorian Homes For Sale Bethesda MD
Henson Special Park is to accurately portray Henson's life and the Maryland slave experience as
well as to explore the impact of Stowe's novel. The realization of this goal will have a permanent
educational benefit.
The Josiah Henson Park had been in private ownership for its entire history, until it was acquired by
the Montgomery County Department of Parks, part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and
Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) in January 2006. The building and site are protected by public
ownership and M-NCPPC is committed to excellent stewardship of this resource.
The Montgomery County Planning Board held a Planning Board Work Session on December 2, 2010
where it approved/adopted the master plan and the recommended name change from "Uncle Tom's
Cabin" Special Park to Josiah Henson Special Park. Visit the Josiah Henson Special Park Master Plan
web page for more information.
The Riley/Bolten House has recently been Historical Homes Bethesda MD listed on the National
Register of Historic Places for its historic significance. It is considered to have irreplaceable
cultural, material, and aesthetic value.
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Research
In 2008 a Historic Structure Report was written to systematically and comprehensively document
the property's origins, physical materials, and archaeological yield. M-NCPPC contracted John
Milner and Associates, Inc. to complete the necessary investigations. Their experienced team
developed a detailed analysis of the building and grounds.
In this document you will find information on Reverend Josiah Henson, the Riley family, and on the
structures and landscape of the site. As with all historical inquiries, research is ongoing.
The site is now in the "Design Phase" looking into all of the issues surrounding the conversion of the
site from a private dwelling into a public cultural resource. Parks historians are investigating the
history of the Henson site on a continual basis.
Timeline
Resources
Electronic versions of Reverend Josiah Henson's autobiographies are available online. Please follow
the links below to read Henson's historic narratives:
Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic Site, Ontario, Canada
Trace Father Henson's footsteps to his final home in Canada. Visit the Uncle Tom's Cabin Historic
Site in Dresden, Ontario to learn more about Reverend Henson's life and work at Dawn Settlement
in Canada.
back to top - Last update: July 11, 2014