Maryland Historical Trust Inventory No.

15-7

Maryland Inventory of
Historic Properties Form

1. Name of Property (indicate preferred name)

historic Brown Tobacco House

other

2. Location
street and number 28601 Ridge Road not for publication

city, town Mt Airy vicinity

county Montgomery

3. Owner of Property (give names and mailing addresses of all owners)

name Keith E Rowland

street and number 28545 Ridge Road telephone
city, town Gaithersburg state MD zip code 21771

4. Location of Legal Description

courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. Montgomery County liber 19050 folio 754
city, town Rockville tax map tax parcel P310 tax ID number 12-00923717

5. Primary Location of Additional Data

Contributing Resource in National Register District
Contributing Resource in Local Historic District
Determined Eligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Determined Ineligible for the National Register/Maryland Register
Recorded by HABS/HAER
Historic Structure Report or Research Report at MHT
Other:

6. Classification
Category Ownership Current Function Resource Count
district public agriculture landscape Contributing Noncontributing
building(s) private commerce/trade recreation/culture buildings
structure both defense religion sites
site domestic social structures
object education transportation objects
funerary work in progress Total
government unknown
health care vacant/not in use Number of Contributing Resources
industry other: previously listed in the Inventory
7. Description Inventory No. 15-73

Condition
excellent deteriorated
good ruins
fair altered

Prepare both a one paragraph summary and a comprehensive description of the resource and its various elements as it
exists today.

The resource was first surveyed in 1968, for the Historic American Building.  At the time, the structure was 
described as a small log barn in good condition, used for the storage of tobacco.  The structure had one opening, 
being a low door on one side.  The surveyor added: 
 
“The construction and shape is typical of the small log storage barns in this county.  The walls are round logs 
dovetailed at their corners.  The chinking between the logs is composed of stucco applied over thin slabs of 
stone laid in a herring bone pattern.  There are many crosspoles of log laid across the inside of the barn.”1 
 
The log structure is no longer standing and a pile of logs lie nearby.   
 
Still extant is a small frame gable roof structure that may have been an ice house.  The structure is ventilated by a 
frame louvered cupola with delicate, Greek Revival style detailing.    
 
 

1
Paul A Brickman, Barry A Weintrab, HABS Inventory, 7-24-1968.
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-7

Historic Properties Form

Name Brown Tobacco House

Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 1

   
 
Brown Tobacco House Site 
1‐2008 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-7

Historic Properties Form

Name Brown Tobacco House

Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 2

 
Brown Tobacco House 
Michael F. Dwyer, 10‐23‐1973 
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No. 15-7

Historic Properties Form

Name Brown Tobacco House

Continuation Sheet

Number 7 Page 3

 
 
Brown Tobacco House Site 
Outbuilding, possible ice house, 1‐2008 
8. Significance Inventory No. 15-73

Period Areas of Significance Check and justify below

1600-1699 agriculture economics health/medicine performing arts
1700-1799 archeology education industry philosophy
1800-1899 architecture engineering invention politics/government
1900-1999 art entertainment/ landscape architecture religion
2000- commerce recreation law science
communications ethnic heritage literature social history
community planning exploration/ maritime history transportation
conservation settlement military other:

Specific dates Architect/Builder

Construction dates

Evaluation for:

National Register Maryland Register not evaluated

Prepare a one-paragraph summary statement of significance addressing applicable criteria, followed by a narrative discussion of the
history of the resource and its context. (For compliance projects, complete evaluation on a DOE Form – see manual.)

This resource was owned by Edward I and P B Brown when it was surveyed in 1968 and 1973.  Historic maps 
indicate Henry Young living in this vicinity by 1865, and continuing to live here in 1878.  Tobacco houses of this 
type were built throughout the 19th century in Montgomery County, and possibly even into the early 20th century. 
 
Farmers in the Damascus area continued to grow tobacco well into the 20th century.  Log tobacco houses were used 
almost exclusively in Montgomery for the curing of tobacco leaves. With stone  chinking laid in a herringbone 
pattern and interior crosspoles, the tobacco house was typical of those found throughout the upcounty area.  The 
crosspoles were used for curing the tobacco leaves.   
 
The tobacco house was still standing in recent years, but was dismantled by 2007.   

  
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No.15-7

Historic Properties Form

Name Brown Log Tobacco House

Continuation Sheet

Number 8 Page 1

 
 
Martenet and Bond map, 1865
Maryland Historical Trust
Maryland Inventory of Inventory No.15-7

Historic Properties Form

Name Brown Log Tobacco House

Continuation Sheet

Number 8 Page 2

G M Hopkins Atlas, 1878

9. Major Bibliographical References Inventory No. 15-73

Brickman, Paul A; and Barry A Weintrab. HABS Inventory, Brown Log House, #195, 7-24-1968.
Hopkins, G M, 1878 map (published 1879).
Martenet and Bond map, 1865.
Owens, Christopher. Brown Tobacco House, 15-7, Maryland Historical Trust worksheet, Nomination Form for the National
Register of Historic Places, 10-23-1973.

10. Geographical Data

Acreage of surveyed property 2.5 acres
Acreage of historical setting
Quadrangle name Quadrangle scale:

Verbal boundary description and justification

11. Form Prepared by

name/title Clare Lise Kelly
organization M-NCPPC date 12-2009
street & number 8787 Georgia Ave telephone 301-563-3400
city or town Silver Spring state MD

The Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties was officially created by an Act of the Maryland Legislature
to be found in the Annotated Code of Maryland, Article 41, Section 181 KA,
1974 supplement.

The survey and inventory are being prepared for information and record purposes only
and do not constitute any infringement of individual property rights.

return to: Maryland Historical Trust

Maryland Department of Planning
100 Community Place
Crownsville, MD 21032-2023
410-514-7600