The mission of the Germantown Historical Society (GHS) is to educate the public about local history and how it contributes to the larger story of our past, to promote research to provide information for this history, and to preserve historic structures and landscapes that are primary sources for this research. The organization has been serving the residents of Germantown since 1990.

GHS has been active in protecting Germantown historic sites by writing letters to and testifying before the Montgomery County Historic Preservation Commission, the Montgomery County Planning Board, and the Montgomery County Council. They were instrumental in saving the Pumphrey-Mateny House, the Basil/William Waters House, the Madeline Waters House site, two stone culverts constructed by Master stonemason James Boyd under the railroad track, and three local burial grounds.

For the past 20 years, the Society has sponsored a spring and a fall lecture, a holiday party, and been a participant in the Germantown Oktoberfest every year until 2012 when the event was moved out of Germantown, and Heritage Montgomery Days since it began. From 1992 to 1999 they held an annual Maryland Day celebration with the Darnestown Historical Society until that organization dissolved. From 1991-1993 they sponsored Memorial Day cemetery tours. They have had a booth at various events through the years including the Germantown Spring Festival, the annual celebration of the founding of the County, and Germantown “Community Nights,” and have been collecting oral histories from local residents.  The Germantown Historical Society is a member of Montgomery Preservation, Inc.

To raise funds, the Society has produced sale items such as t-shirts with the Liberty Mill logos on them, note cards of Germantown historic sites, Germantown train station decorative blocks, a video on the history of Germantown, a map of Germantown landmarks, and booklets on local history, but their biggest fundraiser is the monthly Germantown Community Flea Markets. The Flea Markets began in 1993 at the MARC parking lot across from the train station. In 1996 the venue moved to the parking lot behind the old library and in 2002 back to the newly- enlarged MARC parking lot where it has continued ever since.

The Germantown Historical Society has a brochure, a quarterly newsletter, and a website: https://germantownmdhistory.org and a Facebook page: facebook.com/germantownmdhistory.

Donations help us continue these programs and protecting the past of Germantown for future generations. The Germantown Historical Society is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization and entirely run by volunteers, so contributions are fully tax-deductible. You can e-mail us at germantownmdhistory@gmail.com or leave a message at 301-972-2707.