African American Communities Along the C&O Canal

Gibson Grove is a historical African American community, located in Cabin John, Maryland, and was established in the 1880s. Named for the African American Gibson family who relocated there after the Civil War, the community was home to ten core families, a church, and an African American school. Lea

The historic community of Rock Spring, in what is now Glen Echo Heights, Maryland, was a small African American community founded in the late 1800s. Black recreation and tourism became of growing importance as people settled along the C&O Canal and many of Rock Spring’s community members worked for

Tobytown is a historic African American community located along the C&O Canal in Travilah, Maryland. Founded in the 1870s, Tobytown grew to be a prosperous community, with agricultural lands, church, school, and successful businesses. “Urban renewal” efforts by Montgomery County officials from the 1