Save to foursquare The area now known as Olney, was an agricultural area and focused mostly on farms. Around 1800, artisans, such as blacksmiths, wheelwrights, and potters moved in, turning the area into a center of commerce and trade. (To read more about the history of former Mechanicsville and Olney, please visit the Sandy Spring Museum's History site).
Oakley Cabin was built as part of a property belonging to a landowner named Colonel Richard Brooke, a Revolutionary War veteran. This property passed through many hands, each of whom owned human slaves. There were three cabins in all. This particular cabin is the only one that is remaining.
Between 1880 and 1920, many different folks claimed to live in this cabin. There were both field hands, laundresses, carpenters, and other artisans or crafters, offering their services to the people on the road. (To read more about the history of Oakley Cabin, visit the Montgomery Parks site or visit during their open hours and get a tour!
According to the Heritage Montgomery site, "Built in the 1820s as one of three slave dwellings, the cabin was the center of an African American roadside community from Emancipation well into the 20th century."
Neat!
The artist was on her way to a Pick-Your-Own fruit farm in Montgomery County and saw the sign for Oakley Cabin! Naturally, she had to stop and find out more about this roadside site.
To visit: 3610 Brookeville Road, Olney, MD 20833
Thanks to the Sandy Spring Museum History site, the Montgomery Parks site, and the Heritage Montgomery Site, for their information.
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