In the late 1800s, there was a thriving farming community in Derwood built by an African American couple, Albert and Mary Newman. An exhibit at the Agricultural History Farm Park tells the story of Newmantown with new artifacts never seen by the public.
Albert and Mary Newman came to Montgomery County in 1862 as free people during the Civil War. After the war, they bought land to farm. Several generations of the family lived on the farm in what became Newmantown. Another family, the Bussards, had a farm adjacent to the Newman’s farm. The two families lived with little to no conflict for 90 years.
MyMCM visited the exhibit and spoke with museum educator Deirdre Harris.
The exhibit is free and open to the public 11 a.m.-4 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday from now through March 5.
