The Brookeville Academy is located in the heart of the Historic District in

Brookeville, Maryland Brookeville is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, located north of Washington, D.C., and north of Olney. Brookeville was settled by Quakers late in the 18th century and was incorporated as a town in 1808. Historically a farming town, Broo ...

, a town located north of Washington, D.C., and north of Olney in northeastern Montgomery County, Maryland. It was built in 1810 as one of the first private schools in

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat is Rockville, Maryland ...

. Now, fully restored, it serves as a unique community center suitable for meetings, social and cultural events. It is located in the

Brookeville Historic District The Brookeville Historic District is a national historic district located at Brookeville, Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located in the crossroads village of Brookeville, with almost all of the houses found along the two main streets, Ma ...

, which served as the "Capital for a Day" in 1814 when President Madison had to flee the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...

during the British Invasion of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

The original building

The institution of the Brookville Academy was established in 1808 and was chartered in 1815. Construction for the building began in 1810. The second story of the structure was added in 1840 when the board of trustees decided to expand the school. It was completed in 1858.

Notable students

Among those educated at the academy, include Dr. Henry Howard, who established Howard County, and William Edward Magruder, great-grandson of Colonel

Zadok Magruder Zadok Magruder (1729–1811) was an American politician and military officer who served as an elected official in the government of Maryland and as a colonel in the state militia. He also helped establish Montgomery County. Family and pre-war li ...

. In 1869, the Brookeville Academy relocated to Merrywood, located on nearby farmland outside of town.

Present day

In 1868, the Brookeville Academy moved north to Merryville. After the move, the building had many uses. In the 1870s, the building served as Odd Fellows Hall. In the mid 1900s, it served as the American Legion Hall and also housed functions of Saint John's Church. The town of Brookeville purchased the house from the St. John's Church for its historical significance and began to renovate it for wider public use. The Brookeville Academy now serves as a community center, hosting private functions including meetings, seminars, dinners, parties and weddings.

References

External links

Brookeville, 1814
Maryland State Archives

Maryland State Archives {{coord, 39, 10, 48.9, N, 77, 3, 30.75, W, display=title, type:landmark Buildings and structures in Montgomery County, Maryland