Peerless Rockville is thrilled to present our new book from Arcadia Publishing: “Images of America: Rockville” by Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation with Ralph Buglass. A new pictorial history covering the 250-year span of Rockville’s development, containing many vintage images and some never-before-published photos.
Click here for more information and to order your copy.
Sharyn R. Duffin was a passionate and determined historian who did invaluable work on African-American history throughout Montgomery County, with a special focus on her Rockville neighborhood of Lincoln Park. A descendant of some of the original founders of this historically Black community, Sharyn was dedicated to investigating and sharing their rich but underrepresented history.
While an illness in her youth left Sharyn with paralysis and blindness such that she “didn’t get out much,” she encouraged, engaged, and inspired others to be her eyes when necessary, and continued her research. Sharyn earned both an Associate’s degree from Montgomery College and an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s in political science and history from Antioch College.
Sharyn was remarkable in her commitment to sharing African-American history and documenting the strength and struggles of people and stories for the benefit of the present local community as well as the future. She was always searching for historical documentation to validate her theories and ideas about her research topics, never satisfied with simple plausibility.
A longtime Peerless Rockville volunteer, Sharyn provided valuable insight, research, and assistance with numerous projects over the past four decades. She was especially devoted to preserving the Lincoln Park neighborhood and often advocated for its special sites when threatened. Recent Peerless projects completed with her help include the 2017 Emancipation to Integration series on African-American education, for which she authored the article Realizing a Dream: Providing Opportunity Through Education on the local men who organized for a Black School in 1867. In 2018, she was nominated and awarded the Montgomery County Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award for her body of volunteer work.
Sharyn served as a resource and reviewer for Peerless Rockville’s 2019 Forging Freedom: Endurance, Escape, and Rockville’s Underground Railroad exhibit. This past year, she helped brainstorm topics and contacts for an African-American oral history project in Rockville. Sharyn had a knack for drawing friends and family into her efforts, inspiring others to join in her important work. If she didn’t know something, she always had an idea of who to call to help.
One of Sharyn’s most treasured roles was as the official historian of Jerusalem – Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church. She described a sign there that defined her life: “Enter to worship, exit to serve.” Sharyn’s lifetime of service and work on African-American history has been to the benefit of all of Montgomery County and Rockville.
Peerless Rockville will miss our dear friend Sharyn and her constant assistance and guidance. We will continue to share African-American history and remain inspired by her dedication to doing justice to underrepresented stories and keeping this heritage a part of the modern community.
The History of Baseball in Rockville
Thursday, July 8, 2020 7 pm
Free on Zoom
Register Now!
Join us to learn about Rockville’s rich baseball history from long ago to today.
Join Peerless Rockville for a Glenview Mansion Speaker Series program about Rockville’s storied connection with both major league and Negro leagues baseball. Bill Hickman will present a rundown of the various players and managers with Rockville associations to the history of the game. You will learn about their performances on the diamond, and in some cases, their impact on the Rockville community. Interested in answers to the following? Why is Walter Johnson buried in Rockville? What Rockville ballplayer was investigated by the Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board? What is the connection between the Red Brick Courthouse and baseball?
This is an on-line presentation through Zoom. You will receive the link upon registration.
Saturday, June 19, 2021
1-4 pm, Reserved Timed Admission
Registration Required
Forging Freedom: Endurance, Escape, and Rockville’s Underground Railroad is an exhibit on the story of Rockville in the era of the Underground Railroad, when slavery cast a shadow over life in this farming town, and separatist tensions steadily propelled the nation towards war. Come learn about the brave fugitives who fled slavery in Rockville, the abolitionist network that helped, and the endurance of the enslaved community.
Celebrate Juneteenth by learning about the Underground Railroad in Rockville. The Juneteenth holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when the Union army arrived in Texas bearing federal orders proclaiming the end of slavery. The orders arrived nearly two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation declared that enslaved people living in the secessionist Confederate states were now free. Today, it is an opportunity to celebrate emancipation nationally, and explore emancipation stories of all kinds.
This is a timed-admission event with limited spots per admission time. Registration is required. Peerless Rockville is still requiring face-coverings a this time and they are required in the building by Montgomery County. Please observe CDC recommendations regarding COVID-19 to protect our community.
The Nominating Committee recommends the following board members and officers for service on the Board of Peerless Rockville. Additional written nominations signed by five Peerless members may be filed with the secretary prior to the election. The election will be done by an online poll and results announced at the 2021 Peerless Rockville Annual Meeting on Wednesday June 30th.
For re-election to a two-year term as director, July 2021 through June 2023:
Eileen McGuckian: Eileen is an historian, author, and recognized leader in historic preservation at the local, regional, and state levels. A founder and past president of Peerless Rockville, her 2001 book, Rockville: Portrait of a City, chronicles the history of her adopted home town. Her experience in history and preservation spans four decades with Rockville and County historic commissions.
Hannelore Quigley: Hannelore is 6th generation Rockville; her family has owned property in Rockville since 1805. She lives in Glenora Hills, and volunteers extensively with local historical non-profits including the Rockville Cemetery Association. She currently works as Marketing Director for a software company in Potomac. In her spare time, Hannelore enjoys flying planes and eating ice cream.
Dia Snowden: Dia is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Snowden Funeral Home located on North Washington Street. She is responsible for oversight and the day to day administrative and financial activities and planning for this more than one hundred-year-old historic family-owned funeral establishment. She currently resides in Gaithersburg.
For election to a two-year term as director, July 2021 through June 2023:
Stephen Daoust: Stephen is the founder of a consulting firm called Go FARther LLC. He is an attorney with experience in the areas of government procurement, contracts, compliance and complex litigation. Steve is also a member of the Board of Advisors for both the American University School of Public Affairs and the Public Contracting Institute.
Debra Liverpool: Debra has a diverse background in executive leadership, fundraising, and community-based organizations, and is currently a consultant with Capacity Partners LLC. She is active in service organizations such as the Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club of Silver Spring. Debra has served on many boards and was past president of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce.
Remaining on the Board to complete their terms ending June 2022:
Tony Cohen, Gary Funkhouser, Larry Giammo, Paul Hillstrom, Nancee Simonson, Richard Stoner, Morgan Sullivan
For Election as Officers of the Board of Directors:
For election to Vice-President for a one-year term (2021-2022): Nancee Simonson
For election to Secretary for a one-year term (2021-2022): Eileen McGuckian
Nominating Committee:
Paul Hillstrom, Dia Snowden, Hannelore Quigley
Check out this video for Frieda’s Song! Author Ellen Prentiss Campbell will launch this Rockville-based novel inspired by the life of Frieda Fromm-Reichmann on May 25th with a special conversation with Peerless Rockville on Zoom. Get your tickets now!
You can also pre-order Frieda’s Song – autographed by the author!
