The Sandy Spring Slave Museum stands out for its commitment to local heritage. Founded by Dr. Winston Anderson in 1988, the museum enriches educators, students, and families through education, immersion, and introspection.
In the 18th century, Quakers founded Sandy Spring, naming the town after a spring with sandy soil. According to the Sandy Spring historical marker, the Quakers called the spring, now located in Northwest Branch Valley Park, “Snowden’s Manor” and “Harewood.”
In online archives, people can find information about Sandy Spring. These archives also detail descriptions of the economy, property, and residences in Sandy Spring—among the buildings include a two-story “Roadside” with wooden shingles, gabled roofs and brick chimneys, Victorian styled jigsawn porches, post offices, and blacksmith shops.
The historical documents provide information about notable people: Benjamin Rush Roberts, who founded the Sherwood Spring Mill in 1854, William Henry Farquhar, who administered the county’s school system in 1864, and Lucy Gilpin, who owned and ran the Sandy Spring Store in 1903.
However, the crucial history of African Americans in Sandy Spring is underreported. Home to Montgomery County’s oldest free black community, many enslaved people who settled with the Quakers stayed in Sandy Spring, creating their own families and traditions over the centuries.The lack of historical records challenges Black families from discovering truths about their past generation.
“Montgomery County has such rich Black history that you don’t have to go outside of your communities,” Sandy Spring Slave Museum Co-Director Dr. Troy Boddy said. “Unfortunately, much of that history gets lost over the years. Our role is to not only tell about the contributions of Black people throughout history but locally.”
Educating families on discovering their personal lineage, one of the museum’s most unique programs is conducting genealogy research. Genealogist Natalie Thomas, who studies local African American history, allows visitors to trace their past through a geographical and biological lens when people request a session online.
Another core aspect of the Sandy Spring Slave Museum is its preservation work on collecting oral history from African American families in Montgomery County. Using an archival database called PastPerfect, the Sandy Spring Slave Museum works with American University and anthropologist professor Dr. Rachel Watkins to record historical stories for the greater community.
“We used the collection to teach history at the museum, school trips with children and teachers, and even school leadership like Superintendent executive staff,” Sandi Williams explained, who is also the Co-Director of the museum.
Along with historical research, the Sandy Spring Slave Museum staff works to develop educational material for schools and the public. Their lesson plans, interactive panels and books explore the African diaspora through the Middle Passage, the Abolitionist movement and the Civil Rights movement. These resources navigate the collective resilience, opportunity and culture of African American communities in the United States, a resilience reflected by the museum’s own board.
“Our board members are 90% volunteers or current educators. We have that piece which makes it very instrumental in helping us to promote our mission to bridge the information gap,” museum manager Deborah Buchanan said. Buchanan has been a lifelong resident of Sandy Spring, along with Boddy and Williams.
Outside of the enriching learning journey, the heritage trail is an accessible and valuable component of the Sandy Spring Slave Museum. Open 24 hours a day, visitors can explore 18 outside panels that highlight families, buildings, and structures in a natural setting. As an example for cultural and environmental preservation, heritage trails cultivate new perspectives in understanding how people survived, built and transformed the natural resources into landmarks, monuments and icons in a specific area.
Museums and organizations like the Sandy Spring Slave Museum are integral in gaining personal insight into the shared narratives, culture and values of African Americans. “I grew up in a family where we talked about our history,” Boddy said. “There’s still a lot that was untold.”
“Knowing history allows you to have a shield to protect yourself from misinformation and helps you navigate what’s going on in our world today,” Boddy said.
Nationwide, millions are still searching to restore missing pieces of their family history. The erasure of Black studies, the neglect of Black cemeteries and other acts of structural racism shed light on the urgency for communities to come together, reclaim and showcase their lost voices. Amplifying Black stories through the Sandy Spring Slave Museum allows thousands of visitors to find meaning in educating themselves on African American history—from the brutal to the beautiful.
“The museum becomes an eye-opening experience and a catapult for people to share this information with others and bring more people into the museum,” Buchanan said.
Not only is the struggle to preserve African American history a priority for educators, journalists and advocates, but the Sandy Spring Slave Museum staff recognizes the combined weight of marginalized communities. When these communities uplift and support each other, they can foster stronger relationships and build resonance in a history of oppression and silence.
“Our stories intermingle with Asian Americans and Latino Americans, overlapping with Native Americans—and so this is our story that we just often aren’t given,” Boddy said.
Ultimately, when students and teenagers approach history, learning with open-mindedness creates a world of new ideas, observations and questions.
“Ask why—so you can dig below the surface of just what you see, but why is it that way; why did people do the things they did; what are the different ways in which folks have different perspectives,” Boddy said. “Make connections between things. Put yourself in places where you are listening to stories.”
On the topic of furthering the knowledge students pursue, Buchanan said, “It is never too late to give up your prejudice. You need to educate yourself so that you can elevate your thought processes and your mind—thereby liberating your mind, body and your soul.”
Written by Chelsea Zhu of Richard Montgomery High School