Potomac residents can walk through the historic Rockwood Manor estate for free on Sunday, Nov. 22.
Montgomery Parks is hosting an open house and vendor showcase at the 30-acre wooded property at 11001 MacArthur Blvd. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the Montgomery Parks event listing.
Visitors can tour the grounds, see recently revamped spaces and meet staff along with area vendors. Caterers, event planners and entertainment providers will be on hand, Montgomery Parks said in its November events roundup. Registration is encouraged but not required.
The manor sits adjacent to Great Falls National Park and serves as a retreat and event venue for weddings, meetings and small conferences, according to Montgomery Parks' park history page. The property also offers overnight accommodations, including dormitories for youth groups.
Rockwood has a layered past. Carolyn Caughey, who lived from 1864 to 1936, willed the property to the Girl Scouts in 1936. It operated as the Girl Scout National Center from 1939 to 1979. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) began running the site as a conference and education center in 1983, according to the park's history page.
Between 1946 and 1978, the property served as a national Girl Scout camp where 15,000 to 20,000 girls visited each year with their troops. Because Caughey gifted the land to the national organization, the camp was integrated during a time when Washington-area Girl Scout councils were not. The park history notes that Rockwood was popular with Black troops from segregated states who were often barred from their own council's camps.
The estate became a public park after a 1979 class-action lawsuit. Local Girl Scouts sued the Girl Scouts of the USA, which had planned to sell the property to a residential developer, according to the park history page.
The open house is free. Residents can register through ActiveMontgomery or show up without a reservation.
Upcoming at Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks' November lineup also includes a fall garden tour, wreath making, Garden of Lights and more. Visit the Montgomery Parks event calendar at montgomeryparks.org/events for dates and registration.
