Cities & Communities : Montgomery County : Gaithersburg

A History of Gaithersburg Maryland

In order for a buyer to make an educated decision on purchasing real estate, it is important for a realtor to provide  you with as much information as possible.  For those individuals who are shopping for Gaithersburg. Maryland real estate.  This article provides a timeline of the Gaithersburg  200 year plus history.  Members of TheMarylandrealestateexpert.com team can help you with all your purchasing needs when it comes to purchasing Gaithersburg Maryland homes.  If you are a history buff and are intrigued by moving to a home town steeped in a rich history, please read on.

• 1765 - Gaithersburg was first settled for agricultural purposes in, and was originally known as Log Town.

• 1802 - Benjamin Gaither builds his home here, where the original town center, Gaithersburg’s Forest Oak tree once grew (the nearly 300 year old tree died in 1997 from storm damage).

• 1850 - Forest Oak, the city’s first post office was founded.

• 1873 - The B&O (Baltimore and Ohio) Railroad began running trains, which turned Gaithersburg into a convenient summer travel destination for Washington  DC residents.  The railroad’s expansion also spurred an expansion of the city’s agricultural sector by creating a more efficient logistical structure for the shipment of its products.

• 1884 - The railroad’s impact on this historical city grew dramatically with the construction of the Brick Station and Freight House.  The freight house allowed for greater product shipments, bringing more money back to the city’s economy spawning a boom of growth.

• 1899 - The city’s Latitude Observatory was constructed.  The observatory served as part of a global report aimed at measuring the Earth’s wobble.  Its sister observatories were located all over the world in Russia, Japan, and Italy.  Much of the data compiled in this project is still used today, though the observatory was closed by its technological obsolescence in 1982.

• 1913 - Edward Schwartz established a Peony garden.  Quite famous, the garden which spanned from the railroad station to Hutton Street, contained over 400 different types of Peonies, and was host to notable guests such as President Wilson.  Edward Schwartz’s home is at this city’s present day city hall.

• 1961 - NIST (the National Bureau of Standards and Technology) as it is known today, began building its new home here.  This brought tremendous expansion to the city as many technology firms followed and it earned this historical city the designation of “Science Capitol of the United States”.

• Present Day - As a fairly urban suburb of  the District of Columbia., it is no longer steeped in agriculture, rather it is a hub of technology companies that provide a stable economic base with the stable employment they bring.  Though the city’s heritage is still evident in the charm of many of its neighborhoods.