Red Brick Courthouse
Location: 29 Courthouse Square
— Rockville's African American Heritage Walking Tour —
After the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln and Congress created the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands to aid newly freed African-Americans. By the time it closed in 1872, the bureau had provided assistance to 4-million former slaves making the transition from slavery to freedom, including those in Rockville.
The county courthouse was the site of an 1866 case brought by the Montgomery County Office of the Freedmen's Bureau to recover money stolen from Rockville's African-American community.
By 1858 local African-American families had raised money through subscriptions to pursue construction of a church and school. The money was entrusted to J. Mortimer Kilgour, who joined the Confederate Army in 1861 and never returned to Rockville.
The Freedmen's Bureau assisted local leaders Daniel Brogdon, Henson Norris, Hillary Carroll and Solomon Williams by accusing Kilgour of theft, tracking down Kilgour and returning some money to the Rockville Colored School Board in 1867.
Erected by City of Rockville, Historic District Commission, Department of Community Planning and Development Services. (Marker Number 1.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans
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Location. 39° 5.041′ N, 77° 9.098′ W. Marker is in Rockville, Maryland, in Montgomery County. Marker is on Courthouse Square just west of Maryland Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24 Courthouse Sq, Rockville MD 20850, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Gibbs v. Broome, et al. / 1931 Courthouse (here, next to this marker); Montgomery County Court House (a few steps from this marker); Rockville (a few steps from this marker); Bicentennial of Maryland's Ratification of the Constitution (within shouting distance of this marker); 1891 Red Brick Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Maj. Gen. Edward Braddock and His Men (within shouting distance of this marker); Witness to History (within shouting distance of this marker); Gettysburg Campaign (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rockville.
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Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 6, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 244 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 6, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on May 23, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on June 6, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
