Rockville Business District

Rockville Business District. Location: Montgomery Avenue and Washington Street. , Rockville grew from a convenient crossroads meeting place in the 1750s to become the legal and market center of agricultural Montgomery County. The tiny village was selected as the seat of local government in 1776 for its central location at the juncture of major roads and the presence of taverns and inns to accommodate those with local government business. , , Rockville's commercial activity was not separated from the residential areas as it is today. Craftsmen and merchants often lived on the second story or next to their place of business. However, proximity to the courthouse influenced many hotels, inns and shops to locate along Montgomery Avenue, Commerce Lane (now West Montgomery Avenue) and Washington Street. The area consisted of a variety of uses, including brick institutional buildings, small-frame residences, 19th century hotels and small businesses. Middle Lane and the area of Washington Street just north of Middle Lane was the location of a sizeable, early African-American settlement in the growing town. , , In the 1950s, increased traffic, lack of parking, and economic problems led city officials to pursue redevelopment of the business district. The Mid-City Urban Renewal Project transformed a 46-acre central area of the city by demolishing most of the old buildings, replacing them with an enclosed mall and reconfiguring lots and historic road patterns to create a new Town Center. The unsuccessful Rockville Mall was razed in 1995 as part of an effort to again revitalize the Town Center.