This article is sponsored by Blank Kim Injury Law, the personal injury attorneys in Wheaton. Learn more about the town of Wheaton, Maryland and enjoy the recreational attraction within the community.
Wheaton, Maryland, is a census-designated place in Montgomery County. With the coordinates of 39.04917 degrees north latitude and 77.05722 degrees west longitude, it is located north of Washington, D.C., and northwest of downtown Silver Spring. Before this unincorporated town became Wheaton, it was known as Leesborough. Leesborough was a small business district that grew near the intersection of three major roads: Brookeville Pike, Veirs Mill Rd., and Old Bladensburg Rd. These roads are now Georgia Ave., Veirs Mill Rd., and University Blvd. They currently form the triangle that downtown Wheaton is situated around.
One of the earliest establishments of Wheaton was the Mitchell's Tavern located on the corner of Georgia Ave. and University Blvd. Because of this tavern, the business district of Leesborugh gradually became known as Mitchell's Crossroads. It was this area where the Confederate troops marched and retreated during the Battle of Fort Stevens in 1864. The division that defended Washington D.C. from the invasion of the Confederate troops was led by Union General Frank Wheaton. The name of the town of Wheaton was later taken from his name.
The area of Wheaton remained rural and underdeveloped for many years after the Civil War. The only notable development that occurred was Allen Chapel AME Church in 1871. It was the first African American Church in Wheaton. In 1880, it became the first school for African American people in the area. It wasn't until after World War II that the town of Wheaton saw further expansion. In 1947, the first modern post office was opened.
That same year, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) constructed the prominent Glenmont Water Tower just north of Wheaton. The year after, Kay Constructions Co., began building out Wheaton, making it the suburbs of Washinton, D.C. that we know today. In 2005, the State of Maryland designated Wheaton as an Arts and Entertainment District.
As a public park and county-designated protected area, the Wheaton Regional Park is operated by the Montgomery County Parks. Established in 1960, with 538.7 acres, the park is one of the largest parks in Montgomery County. The entrances to Wheaton Regional Park are located on Shorefield Rd., Glenallan Ave., and Orebaugh Ave. Because of its size, there are three main areas to the park. Each area is named after said entrances. Recreation facilities within the park are:
These facilities offer activities such as local natural history exhibits, fishing, ice skating, ice skating classes, ice hockey, train rides, boarding of horses, escorted and guided trail rides, lessons on horseback riding, children's summer camps, and grills for social gatherings.
The Wheaton Regional Park also has the Ovid Hazen Wells Carousel that is on loan from the Ovid Hazen Wells Recreational Park. Constructed in 1915, this Herschell Spillman carousel consists of 33 jumping horses, two chariots and three zebras.
The Harper Family Log House is also located in the Wheaton Regional Park, as part of the Brookside Nature Center. The 1 and 1/2-story log cabin was built in the 1870s in Poolesville, Maryland. It was historically known as the Richard Thomas Harper House and was the home of an African American landowning family. In 1976, the Maryland0National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) dismantled and relocated it to the Wheaton Regional Park. The log house is used as an example of a pioneer cabin for the United States Bicentennial. Continue reading to learn more about the community of Arcola.
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