Germantown, Maryland


Germantown is located in central-western part and is the third largest city in the U.S. State of Maryland. Germantown is located approximately 25 miles outside of Washington D.C. The city is largely suburban in nature. It is the home to a major installation of the U.S. Department of Energy. Germantown is actually not incorporate as a city. If it was, it would be the second largest incorporated city in Maryland.



To See And To Do In Germantown


  • The Germantown Oktoberfest
  • Black Hill Regional Park
  • Black Rock Center for the Arts
  • Butler's Orchard
  • Gunner's Lake Local Park


History Of Germantown - Timeline


Long before the Europeans came to the area, the native tribes of paleo-Indians lived here. In 1732, the Englishman George Buchanan acquired the land, "Chestnut Ridge", on which Germantown was established. Buchanan might have been the first white man who settled there but it is not confirmed. In 1769, the first known settlers were the three brothers Zachariah Waters, William Waters, and Basil Waters. They purchased land and built large plantations in what is now known as Germantown. They grew tobacco, wheat, corn, and flax. Soon, the Thomas Dawson family, the Blunt family, and Henry Waring family followed.

In 1809, a post office was established. In 1812, Francis Cassatt Clopper bought land and established a huge plantation farm. In 1815, Thomas Hilleary built a grist mill and a saw mill. The first church was built in 1845. In the 1850s, a new post office was established. In 1855, the carpenter Jakob Snyder built the Grusendorf Log House. It is the oldest surviving building from the original Germantown. In 1864, a Baptist Church was built. The Seneca Schoolhouse was established in 1865.

Also in 1865, George Atzerodt was captured in the town. He was to assassinate Vice President Andrew Johnson but lost his nerve and fled on the night of the Lincoln assassination. In 1868, a school was built.

In 1873, the railroad opened in Germantown and the town became a railroad town instead of a little farming/tobacco town. The first train station was built in 1878. In 1879, there were many shops, warehouses, and residences where Mateny Road is today. A steam-powered mill was built in 1888. The first bank opened in 1922. In 1958, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission relocated from its location in downtown Washington D.C. to Germantown. In 2000, the sports complex "Maryland SoccerPlex" opened. In 2002, the BlackRock Center for the Arts opened.