Carson Ward opened his general store at 101 North Frederick Avenue around 1890. The building served as Town Hall in 1912 and the second story was even used as a public library. Although this building has been extensively rebuilt by its owner, Mattress Discounters, care was taken to preserve the appearance of the building. The photo on the left was taken in 1919.
| Name | Date | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Hartley | 5/23/09 | If my memory is right, I believe that in the picture on the right, on the side of the building facing Brooks there was an entrance to a barber shop in the 60's and I think it was called Hufstetlers. |
| Nancy Zanner Correll | 7/29/09 | In the '60s, the right side of this building was the Double B, which had a soda fountain. It was the premier spot for teenagers to hang out. |
| George Carson Ward | 9/9/09 | Carson Ward, my grandfather. I am pretty sure that he also owned Wards Esso Station on the corner of Brooks and Frederick/Diamond Ave. |
| Shep Burton | 5/16/10 | Yep, I remember the Double B as a grammer school kid...The "town" kids used to buy candy there and sell it at school...We lived on a farm, no stores; so we got "scalped" by the young enterpreneurs... Broschart's Esso was across the street, The Gaither Theatre around the corner... |
| Joe Brodt | 5/17/10 | Hi Shep! If I remember correctly Mr. Reber owned the Double B and we bought his home on 4 Cedar, where we grew up. |
| Judy Dean | 6/17/10 | I remember when Billy Reber owned the candy store/soda shop, and Brochart's owned the Esso station; Connie Fields ran the Gaither Theatre. Love these pictures, being a native of G'burg myself. |
| Danny Brodt | 10/8/11 | It was Reber's and also the Greyhound bus stop. |
| Mal | 12/8/11 | Nice job at refurbishment. Very nice to see history being saved for future generations. Cheers, Mal from Cessnock |
| Jill Greenberg | 2/20/12 | Bob, you are right. There was a barber shop there. It was called Hostetter's. My father, Orin F. (Jim) Burdette was a barber there for many years. |
| Cathy Donnnelly Fatigati | 10/19/13 | My family is from Montgomery County. It is great that Mattress Discounters preserved the building. My family roots go back to the early 1800's the Lynches and the Spates. I love the history of the county. |
| Cal Davies | 3/5/14 | Judy Dean--brother of Richard Dean, husband of my sister Mary Jane? My grandfather walked me from Muddy Branch Rd. to Reber's for Smith Bros. cough drops. My step dad, Bo Peake, co-owned Gaithersburg Speedometer & Ignition above Brochart' ESSO on Brooks. Harold Knode owned the Sinclair across Frederick. Always loved making that eastbound swerve from Frederick onto Diamond toward Roy's Place. The Double B was bought by Mike Moore, I think. |
| brian | 7/6/14 | Remember, it is actually BrookEs NOT brooks |
| Judy Shrader | 9/14/14 | Was one of these buildings once a funeral parlor? Or a furniture store? My Uncle died around 58 and was laid out in this building I thought. Then in early 60's I bought furniture at a store closing sale, thought it was the same bldg. |
| Becky Word Lau | 9/30/15 | Cal Davies--not sure if you'll see this now, but Judy Dean was Richard and Mary Jane's niece; I'm their great niece. Judy's dad was Harold Dean; Uncle Dick's older brother. My mom's family was a long time Montgomery County family (Darnestown, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Derwood). Many still live in the area. My husband, kids & I were in Gaithersburg up until 2005. Loved growing up there. When I used to sell advertisement space for our high school programs in the early 80s, I could walk into the shops in Old Town Gaithersburg, and many an owner would ask, "Aren't you Harold Dean's granddaughter?" Miss those days when Gaithersburg still had a small town feel. Sad to see so much has changed. |
| carole wells | 4/11/16 | Remember the Double B too! Even though I was an "alien" from Richard Montgomery. Recently bought a mattress from the same place - - life goes on...... |