Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw (center) leads a short hike during the dedication of Freedman’s State Park. Photo by Anthony Burrows, Maryland DNR
Today, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Office of Governor Wes Moore, and local partners dedicated a new Maryland state park that pays tribute to a significant chapter of the state’s African American history.
The newly dedicated park—Freedman’s State Park in northeastern Montgomery County—comprises a little more than 1,000 acres of park land. Restored buildings and new displays planned for the park will tell the story of the African American family that overcame enslavement to become a prosperous and influential family in northern Montgomery County, Baltimore, and Canada.
The park encompasses farmland once owned by Enoch George Howard, his wife Harriet, and their family, who helped shape the Civil Rights Movement in Maryland.
“Black history is central to Maryland’s story, and Freedman’s State Park tells an amazing story of resilience rising from the injustice of slavery,” said Chichi Nyagah-Nash, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Wes Moore. “When we preserve a place like this, we are doing more than protecting acreage. We are honoring Black history as Maryland history. And we are making sure that future generations understand that freedom is not merely declared. It is built. It is defended. It is taught. It is prayed over. It is lived.”
The park’s name comes from the term “freedman,” an individual who was emancipated from enslavement. Freedman’s State Park was established in 2022 by the Maryland General Assembly and will be used to celebrate all Marylanders freed from slavery.
“We rightly honor our well-known historic heroes like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. At Freedman’s State Park we will explore the story of emancipation through the life of Enoch George Howard, the intrepid spirit of his family, and the community that grew around them,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “The Howard family’s contributions to our shared history and struggle for freedom is an inspiring addition to the Park Service’s stewardship of our natural, historical, and cultural heritage.”
In the years prior to the Civil War, Enoch George Howard was enslaved by the Gaither family, after whom Gaithersburg is named. Enoch George’s farming skill and business acumen allowed him to save enough money to buy his own freedom, then his wife’s freedom, the freedom of their four children, and ultimately the land where his wife was once enslaved.
“The Howard family lived a complete arc of the African American experience in one generation, from enslavement to emancipation, to land ownership and community leadership,” said Angela Crenshaw, Director of the Maryland Park Service. “Visitors to Freedman’s State Park can share the immersive experience by walking in their literal footsteps on this land where they made history.”
Howard family descendants gather around the grave markers of Enoch George Howard and Harriet Howard in the family cemetery. Photo by Anthony Burrows, Maryland DNR
Enoch George Howard left his land to his children, one of whom, Martha Elizabeth Howard Murphy, sold her share and used the proceeds to help purchase the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper, Maryland’s first Black-owned newspaper, and turned it into a leading voice in the civil rights struggle that is still publishing today.
Attractions found on this historic property include the Howard Chapel Cemetery, Howard Family Cemetery (where Enoch George and Harriet Howard are buried), and the ruins of Locust Villa, the original 1790s plantation home purchased for approximately $3,000 by Enoch George Howard in 1862 amidst the Civil War. The plantation home was the former location where Howard’s wife and children had been enslaved.
His son, Greenbury Howard, later built his nearby home in the image of Locust Villa and his descendants lived there until a few decades ago. Currently, the Park Service is overseeing restoration efforts of the Greenbury Howard home.
Freedman’s State Park has been developed in partnership with Preservation Maryland, the Sandy Spring Museum, Sandy Spring Slave Museum, Maryland-National Parks and Planning Commission, the Baltimore Afro-American and Afro Charities, and the Maryland Historical Trust. Archaeology work has uncovered many details about the Howard family.
Attendees of the Freedman’s State Park dedication hike to the ruins of Locust Villa, a 1790s plantation house. Photo by Anthony Burrows, Maryland DNR
The heavily wooded area and agricultural land previously farmed by the Howards that surround these historic sites will be connected with recreational trails for hiking and biking. The new park’s area was previously a portion of Patuxent River State Park. It encompasses land in northeastern Montgomery County in and near Brookeville, Olney, Sandy Spring, and Laytonsville.
During a recent tour, Crenshaw noted a particular spot on a trail near the Greenbury Howard house overlooking the family’s land. She refers to it as a “’Lion King’ moment”—a reference to the movie where a father shows his son the extent of their kingdom—and its particular meaningfulness on how far the Howard family had traveled on their road to freedom.
Freedman’s State Park was dedicated in a ceremony led by Secretary Kurtz and Director Crenshaw on Friday, May 15. Project partners including representatives from Gov. Moore’s office, Preservation Maryland, the Afro-American, and Afro Charities as well as descendants of the Howard family toured the grounds after the dedication. Portions of the park are already accessible for hiking and public tours will be scheduled in the future.
Freedman’s is one of six new state parks or major expansions being announced this year by the Department of Natural Resources. In February, the historic African American cemetery at Catoctin Furnace in Cunningham Falls State Parks was opened to the public.
More information about Freedman’s State Park is on the Maryland DNR website, including a map of the park.
