Located at 3 East Diamond Avenue, the Thomas Cannery operated from 1918 to 1962 and was the only food cannery in Montgomery County, as well a major employer in Gaithersburg. The cannery was damaged by a fire in 1962 and never resumed operation after that. The photo on the left was taken in 1986 and as you can see, an excellent job was done in preserving this structure, which now houses offices as well as a spa. Archived Comments
The Belt Building is located at the intersection of Diamond and Summit Avenues. It's the oldest commercial property in the city and was built in 1903, after Belt's original building (built in 1879) was lost in a fire. John A. Belt brought his business to town to take advantage of the railroad. By the turn of the century, his emporium was one of the largest in Montgomery County. Belt was an active civic leader in Gaithersburg and his building was the preferred location for lectures, theater, recitals, musical presentations and high school graduations. In later years this building has been home to many businesses - W. Lawson King's Auto Showroom, George Woodfield's Maytag Service, Walker's Grocery, Frank Ciarrachi's Restaurant, Clark's Photography, McMurtray's Floral Arts, Armand's Pizzeria, Summit Station Brewery and currently Growler's. Archived Comments
Gaithersburg City Hall was once the home of Edward P. Schwartz. In 1913 Mr. Schwartz planted a peony garden on this land that stretched from the railroad station to Hutton Street. At the time it was the largest peony collection in the world. The City purchased the estate in 1958 and renovated the house for municipal offices and the peony garden was later moved to Seneca Creek State Park, where it barely survives today. Archived Comments
North Summit Avenue, then and now. Archived Comments
The Fulks family have been part of Gaithersburg's history since the 1760s. Thomas Fulks was a prominent businessman, farmer and Gaithersburg politician. His house, located at 208 South Frederick Avenue, is a well-preserved example of late 19th century architecture and has undergone very little exterior alteration since the turn of the century. The photograph on the left was taken in 1897. Archived Comments
King Pontiac was located at 312 East Diamond Avenue in the 1960s. W. Lawson King also owned a number of retail establishments in "Old Towne" Gaithersburg, including most of the block containing Diamond Drug, as well as many farms in Montgomery County. He was called "Mr. Gaithersburg" both for his business and personal interests in the town's welfare. Archived Comments
Gaithersburg's original post office, established around 1850, was called the Forest Oak Post Office. It was located inside Gaither's Store, which stood near the famous Forest Oak tree along the Great Road (modern day Route 355). The Post Office moved around a few times and in 1960, eventually ended up at 21 South Summit Avenue. Archived Comments
