The area now known as "Kensington" was formerly used for agriculture; farmers bought and maintained various parcels of land. In 1873, a train line was built connecting Washington D.C. to Point of Rocks, passing through the property of George Knowles. Starting in 1891, the train began to stop at Knowles Station, connecting local farmers and businessmen to wider networks of trade and commerce. Brainard Warner realized the area's potential and purchased property there in 1890, upon which he had his mansion constructed for use as a summer home, drawing inspiration from Kensington, London, England.In 1893, Warner and his friend Crosby Noyes, who was the editor of the Washington Star, founded Noyes Library. The town was incorporated the following year and given the name Kensington at Warner's urging. Kensington has retained its reputation as a "garden suburb" and is home to multiple Victorian-era houses. Warner Manor features Queen Anne Style architecture with its large front porch and asymmetrical design. The nearby carriage house dates to 1914.Warner Manor sits in the heart of Kensington. This stately home was originally owned by Brainard Warner who built this Victorian mansion in 1892 as a retreat for his family from Washington, DC. The house is built in a Queen Anne Style – note its massive front porch and its asymmetrical façade. The carriage house in the back was built in 1914. Warner lived in the house until 1918 and hosted numerous social events including a party attended by President William Howard Taft.

Warner Manor dates to the late 19th century.

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Located in the Kensington Historic District, Warner Circle Park contains a Queen Anne Style house, the former home of Brainard Warner, and a 1914 carriage house. Warner was a banker and real estate broker who established the town of Kensington as a pleasant summer retreat and suburb of D.C. The house served as a private residence for several decades and became a nursing home in the 1960s. Across the street is Noyes Children's Library, founded in 1893 by Brainard Warner and Crosby Noyes.


Warner Circle Park

Tour Kensington visiting historical landmarks like the Warner Circle Park, Noyes Library, and Antique Row

Kensington Walking Tour

The Civil Works Administration, a New Deal program, began the construction of the cabin during the Great Depression, but a cut in its funding necessitated the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission completing it. The architecture is rustic, following a log cabin style promoted by the National Park Service in the 1930s that was known as "parkitecture." The cabin pened to the public October 13, 1934. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission acquired the park in 1949. For several decades, the cabin hosted summer camps, community gatherings, classes, and parties. In 1991 it closed due to failing infrastructure. Twenty years later, in 2011, the Montgomery Counter Master Plan for Historic Preservation designated the cabin's restoration as a priority. In 2018, Montgomery Parks rehabilitated the activity building with support from the Cupid Foundation, a charity operated by Under Armour founder Kevin Planck. Planck had grown up playing in the park and using the cabin. Montgomery Preservation, Inc. awarded the restoration with its "Rehabilitation of a Historic Resource for Public Use Award" in March 2018. When the cabin reopened in October 2018, it was renamed after Planck's mother, Janet H. Planck, who served as mayor of Kensington from 1974 to 1982. In addition to the cabin, the park includes two tennis courts, a lighted basketball court, softball fields, a playground, and an area for picnics. Over the years it has been home to community Labor Day and Independence Day celebrations.

Kensington Cabin Park has occupied this 4.3-acre space for several decades, and its log cabin dates to the early 1930s.  For years, this building served as a community center and was enjoyed by countless children attending summer camps. The park was acquired by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in 1949. The park also includes tennis courts, a basketball court, a playground, and a picnic area. The cabin was closed in 1991 and restored in 2018 so that it may be open to the public again. Upon its reopening, the cabin was renamed after Janet H. Planck, Kensington's mayor from 1974 to 1982.

Kensington Cabin Park

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, hundreds of public libraries emerged in the United States and across the world. Over 2500 public libraries were built worldwide between 1883 and 1929 under the patronage of Andrew Carnegie (around 1600 of these were in the United States). Noyes Library appeared within this context of a popular and growing movement for public libraries. Established by Crosby Noyes and Brainard Warner, Noyes Library opened on 10 January 1893. Warner insisted that the library would be open 250 days each year, would not allow sale or use of alcohol on its premises, and would be rebuilt in case of a fire. The Noyes Library Association operated the library with the goal of "equip[ping] and maintain[ing] a public library and reading room in Kensington for the moral, intellectual and scientific improvement of the surrounding community" ("Library's Long History"). While its initial collection comprises around 600 books, that number soon grew to approximately 2000 by 1895. Those interested in joining the Association paid an annual fee of $1. Use of the reading room was free, while checking out books for one month cost 10 cents. Librarians' salaries at the time were $5 per month. Noyes is the earliest library building in the Washington D.C. area. The Town of Kensington was itself incorporated the next year. An 1894 newspaper article described some of the library's fundraising events such as "lawn parties" and "candy sales" ("Library's Long History"). Crosby Noyes left additional funding for the library in his will. As a social hub for the community of Kensington, Noyes provided resources for children, students, and adults alike. It hosted Town meetings and was used by the Presbyterian Church for a time. By the 1930s, librarians received salaries of $15 per month. Volunteers from the Kensington Women's Club also contributed time to running the library. In 1950, the Town of Kensington hired a full-time librarian and agreed to provide free use of the library services to residents (as well as $2 subscriptions to anyone out of town). Shortly afterward, however, Noyes Library joined with other local libraries into the Montgomery County Public Library system. This decision ultimately led to the merging of Noyes' collection with other libraries, and the closure of the Noyes Library building in Kensington in the 1960s. Kensington residents protested the loss of their local library, and in 1972 the building reopened, this time as a dedicated children's library--one of few libraries exclusively for children in the United States. Its new mission involves creating early literacy programming, building community, hosting events and workshops for children, and maintaining a "universally accessible" space ("About the Foundation"). Noyes once again faced closure due to county budget cuts during the 1990s. The non-profit Noyes Children's Library Foundation incorporated in response and has raised the funds necessary to ensure the library's continued operation.

In 1893, Noyes Library opened its doors as a library for the town of Kensington, which at that time was home to around 80 residents. It sits on a small triangle of land donated by Brainard Warner, who lived in the large manor house nearby. Warner and his friend Crosby Noyes, editor of the Washington Evening Star, founded the library together, with Noyes supplying many of the books--around 600 to get the collection started. Since 1972, Noyes has been a children's library that hosts events, performances, and story times.  

Noyes Library

The area now known as "Kensington" was formerly used for agriculture; farmers bought and maintained various parcels of land. In 1873, a train line was built connecting Washington D.C. to Point of Rocks, passing through the property of George Knowles. Starting in 1891, the train began to stop at Knowles Station, connecting local farmers and businessmen to wider networks of trade and commerce. Brainard Warner realized the area's potential and purchased property there in 1890, upon which he had his mansion constructed for use as a summer home, drawing inspiration from Kensington, London, England. In 1893, Warner and his friend Crosby Noyes, who was the editor of the Washington Star, founded Noyes Library. The town was incorporated the following year and given the name Kensington at Warner's urging. Kensington has retained its reputation as a "garden suburb" and is home to multiple Victorian-era houses. Warner Manor features Queen Anne Style architecture with its large front porch and asymmetrical design. The nearby carriage house dates to 1914. Warner Manor sits in the heart of Kensington. This stately home was originally owned by Brainard Warner who built this Victorian mansion in 1892 as a retreat for his family from Washington, DC. The house is built in a Queen Anne Style – note its massive front porch and its asymmetrical façade. The carriage house in the back was built in 1914. Warner lived in the house until 1918 and hosted numerous social events including a party attended by President William Howard Taft.

This building originated as an armory for the Cannon Company of the 115th Infantry. It once had a wide entry ramp that allowed vehicles to enter and unload. Its brick facade, reinforced doors and windows, and fortress-like appearance speak to this original function. The Town of Kensington acquired the property from the State in the 1970s. Today, the building serves a variety of purposes, primarily conducting official town business and operating as a Town Hall and polling place. The Kensington Historical Society maintains its archival collection of news articles, historic documents, and photographs here. In addition, the Montgomery Municipal Cable television studio operates out of the building.

Built in 1927 as a National Guard Armory, this striking brick building features symmetrical towers and battlements that give it the appearance of a fortress. The Volunteer Fire Department also occupied part of the space from 1927 until 1946. In its relatively short lifespan, this structure has also housed the National Guard firing range, a bowling alley, theater and musical performances, offices for the Maryland DMV, dance classes, a toy museum, and more. Currently, this site serves as Kensington Town Hall and houses the Kensington Historical Society Archives.

Kensington Town Hall (National Guard Armory)

This parcel of land was purchased by Howard L Derrick in 1924 and the gas station was built two years later, along with an adjacent Ford Dealership on the corner of what was then Howard Avenue and Connecticut Avenue (Connecticut Avenue was rerouted across the railroad bridge later and the old block was renamed Armory Avenue). In 1929, Derrick moved his dealership and constructed a new gas station at his estate in Ashton, and sold the gas station to Standard Oil of New Jersey. In 1940, the gas station was listed as Moores Esso. Currently, with a garage for mechanical repairs, the service station is operated by Mario Bruno as an independent gas station. The gas station represented a larger phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s gas stations that built America's heavily car-centric culture.

The gas station at Howard Avenue and Armory Avenue was constructed in 1926 by Howard L Derrick. Originally operating as the Derrick Motor Company, this gas station consisted only of the covered drive-through and roof, although later, the adjacent garage for repairs was added, and the office was expanded. The gas station was once part of the Esso chain and is now home to an independent service station. The building is an official Maryland one of the last remaining examples of a style of 1920s gas station architecture and is listed on the Maryland Historic Trust. 

Kensington Service Center

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was incorporated in 1827 to bring Baltimore back into competition in westerly trade after New York had constructed the successful Erie Canal. From Baltimore, the mainline stretched west to West Virginia and beyond, however, originally, the mainline did not stop in Washington, and instead bypassed through northern Maryland. However, in 1835, a branch line from Baltimore to Washington opened, diverging from the B&amp;O mainline at Relay station. The line terminated in Washington at Union Station. With Washington growing rapidly during and after the Civil War, the railroad decided to fully connect Washington with the rest of the mainline, building the 49-mile long "Metropolitan Branch," which reconnected with the mainline at Point of Rocks station. The Metropolitan Branch opened in 1873, and the opening of the line brought major suburbanization to Montgomery County villages it stopped at. The Kensington station opened in 1891. Originally there were separate waiting areas for men and women, and a master's office in the center. While originally named Knowles Station after George Knowles, the station was renamed Kensington in 1894 after Brainard H Warner, the founder of the town, named his planned community Kensington after a visit to England. In addition to the Baltimore and Ohio railroad service at the station, there was also a streetcar service to the station. The Kensington Electric Railway ran a 2.5 mile service from Kensington station to the terminus of the Rock Creek Railway, which ran from Chevy Chase into the city. The line was later taken over by the Capital Traction Company, one of Washingtons' two main streetcar companies. Although plans existed to extend the line all the way to Sandy Spring, these never came to fruition with the best start being an extension to Howard Avenue reaching 3000 feet. The service was retired in 1933. Through mergers, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad became a part of the CSX transport networks. It is used by the MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter) Brunswick Line, which services Union Station to stations in West Virginia, and by the Amtrak Capitol Limited service to Chicago.

Kensington's small railroad station was built in 1891, making it the country's second oldest still-active train station. The station originally operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, was first named "Knowles Station" after the farmland owned by George Knowles which the station was located on. Later, when a community named Kensington sprung up around the railroad, the station was renamed. Its designer E. Francis Baldwin was the B&O's top architect at the time, creating hundreds of buildings over his long career (though many no longer survive). The station's "Stick Style" design is highly practical, featuring large overhanging eaves that shelter waiting passengers from sun, rain, and snow. However, compared to the B&O stations at Rockville and Silver Spring, the station lacks fine detailing due to financial struggles at the time. Kensington is around 11 miles from Washington D.C., and back in the late 19th century, city residents could travel from Washington's Union Station to Kensington for around 35 cents. Maryland state-run MARC commuter trains now connect the two places after taking over B&O passenger service in 1974. The station parking lot now hosts the Kensington Farmers' Market on Saturdays and continues to serve as a community symbol and gathering place. 

Kensington B&O Railroad Station

Kensington's "Antique Row," the earliest business and commercial district in town, stretches along Howard Avenue. Shops sprang up around the train station, since the steady flow of traffic was good for business. These buildings have housed a vast and ever-changing array of businesses over the decades: grocery stores, offices, antique stores, clinics, dry cleaners, diners, and more. For example, 3716 Howard Avenue was built in 1895 for the Mongomery Press, a local newspaper, but in later years, it served as a doctor's office, veterinary clinic, and antique store. The area is now primarily known for its antique shops.

Antique Row

The first fire department in the Kensington area was established by the town council in 1899 as a response to a large fire on October 26, 1899, that destroyed the Montgomery Press (newspaper) office and the Town Hall. At the time, Kensington had no water system and no way to stop fires. There were many problems with the early fire department, including the fact that most roads were not paved, meaning streets turned to mud. In 1918, an old schoolhouse caught fire and although the firefighters arrived at the scene, the mayor did not allow them to hook up to the town's new water system because he believed it needed to be saved for reserve for nearby homes.A tension between the firefighters and the town formed, including around a newly purchased 1922 Ford truck with water pump, the 2nd motorized firefighting apparatus in the county. The town owned the truck and appointed the Fire Marshall, and volunteers had to negotiate to be able to train on the truck. In addition, the truck could not be used outside the town without special permission from the mayor, which angered more volunteers. Led by Eugene Raney, in 1922, volunteer firefighters broke away from the town and formed their own station. Although not originally recognized by the town, by 1925, the town officially recognized the department, and in 1927, they moved into the Armory/Town Hall. As the area continued to grow, the KVFD moved into its current building in 1947, and 3 more stations in the vicinity were incorporated.

The Kensington Volunteer Fire Department was established in the late 1890s in response to multiple severe fires in the Kensington area that could not be put out. The current building at the intersection of Plyers Mills Road and Connecticut Avenue was constructed in 1947, after moving out of the Town Hall/Armory. The Fire Department also had two memorials to the tragedies of 9/11, with a gnarled steel beam from New York to memorialize firefighters who lost their lives, and a limestone boulder from the Pentagon to memorialize victims of the Pentagon and all those on Flight 93. 

Kensington Walking Tour

Warner Circle Park

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information