Schedule

Events are free to attend and held at 7 p.m. unless otherwise stated.

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Maryland: From Loyal Colony to Independent State

Ken Swab of the Maryland State Numismatic Association discusses Maryland’s evolution from a British colony to one of the original 13 states of the new United States of America.
250^th Theme: Power of Place; We the People; American Experiment

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Montgomery Montage: A 250-Year Tapestry of Time, People and Place, Part 1

Montgomery County has undergone tremendous change over the course of its history—once overwhelmingly rural and agricultural, then increasingly suburban, and now highly urbanized in numerous areas. Speaker Ralph Buglass provides perspective and sets the stage for the semiquincentennial.
250^th Theme: Power of Place; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Montgomery Montage: A 250-Year Tapestry of Time, People and Place, Part 2

Continuing the story of Montgomery County’s transformation from rural to suburban to urban. Speaker Ralph Buglass offers historical context leading up to the semiquincentennial.
250^th Theme: Power of Place; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Freedman’s State Park

Peter Morrill, Historic Preservation Planner for the Maryland Park Service, introduces Freedman’s State Park, a new historical site in northeastern Montgomery County. The park is connected to Enoch George Howard, an enslaved man who purchased his freedom and became a landowner.
250^th Theme: Unfinished Revolutions; American Experiment; Power of Place

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

To Be Determined

Wednesday, June 10, 2026

To Be Determined

Wednesday, July 8, 2026

Becoming Americans 1774

In late spring 1774, ten men from lower Frederick County (later Montgomery County) met at Hungerford’s Tavern in Rockville to sign historic resolves boycotting trade with Britain in response to its retaliation against Boston for the Tea Party. This talk explores their actions in the larger Revolutionary War context. Speaker Sandra Heiler is Treasurer of Montgomery Preservation, Inc., and a Chapter Historian for the DAR and Daughters of 1812.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Ten Days in September 1956

A documentary retelling pivotal events at Poolesville High School during desegregation in 1956. The film explores the town’s history through newspaper reports and interviews with historians. Director and producer Joey Geerheng will host a Q&A following the screening.
250^th Theme: Unfinished Revolutions; We the People; Doing History

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

FreedomWalk2026: My Walk on the Underground Railroad

Anthony Cohen recounts his 800-mile journey from Maryland to Canada (May 4–July 4, 2026). He shares the inspiration behind the trek, along with images of people and places encountered, commemorating the 250^th anniversary of Montgomery County and the nation.
250^th Theme: Doing History; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Elevating Indigenous Voices in the Maryland State Archives

Maria Day discusses the Indigenous Archive Project for Maryland’s Eastern Shore, developed to fill gaps in Native American community archives and record contemporary lifeways and history of Tribal communities in the Delmarva region.
250^th Theme: Doing History; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Immigration Archives

Maria Sprehn, Ph.D., and Sarah Hedlund explore how Montgomery County evolved into one of the most diverse counties in the U.S. through 200 years of immigration stories, oral histories, archival documents, census data, and more. Stories include immigrants from Ukraine, Latvia, El Salvador, India, Palestine, China, Congo, and others.
250^th Theme: Doing History; Unfinished Revolutions; We the People

Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Latino Dining in Gaithersburg

Speaker: Maria Sprehn, Ph.D.
250^th Theme: We the People; Power of Place