North Bethesda in Montgomery County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Meathouse: A Food Vault
"I used to reason that the slaves were the property of their masters, and so were the pigs if I induced them to wander away, it was only taking a part of master's property, the pigs, to make the other part of his property, the women, more valuable."
Josiah Henson
Under lock and key, the contents of a smokehouse or meathouse were considered extremely valuable. Lacking refrigeration, the Riley family needed to preserve their meat to keep it from spoiling. Butchered meat, such as pork after a winter hog killing, was salted and then cured over a slow smoke. Most of the meat ended up on the Rileys' dining table. If meat was distributed to the enslaved, their allotment was usually small and of poor quality.
[Captions:]
This smokehouse was discovered in northern Montgomery County in Black Hill Regional Park. The building probably looks similar in size and material to the one that stood on the Riley plantation.
Chronically undernourished, the enslaved were tempted by the meathouse stores. This 1809 legal document describes a Montgomery County court case brought against "James a negro man slave the property of Henry Gaither" for "breaking open the meet [sic] house."
Erected 2021
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Law Enforcement. In addition, it is included in the Maryland, Montgomery Parks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1809.
Location. 39° 2.636′ N, 77° 7.309′ W. Marker is in North Bethesda, Maryland, in Montgomery County. It can be reached from Old Georgetown Road (Maryland Route 187) 0.1 miles south of Tilden Lane, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11420 Old Georgetown Rd, Rockville MD 20852, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Agriculture on the Riley Plantation (here, next to this marker);
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 259 times since then and 26 times this year. Last updated on July 16, 2026, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 4, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
