Pondering the Past at Heritage Days

>At Rockville Central we make a big point of emphasizing our comment policy, so I searched the Montgomery County Historical Society’s exhibit Good Advice during Heritage Days last Sunday for some applicable words of wisdom.

Since we ask readers to be “decent and civil”, an 1894 quote from Manner, Culture and Dress of the Best American Society by Richard Wells entitled Bow of Civility caught my attention.

If there is any one of your acquaintances with whom you have a difference, do not avoid looking at him, unless from the nature of things the quarrel is necessarily for life. It is almost always better to bow with cold civility, though without speaking.

Since we certainly don’t bow anymore in society and we can’t bow through the internet, it’s a bit of a stretch to apply this advice today. However, the exhibit explains that ignoring an enemy is almost as vulgar as the initial insult, so perhaps simply acknowledging the disagreement online without further discussion would be considered appropriate.

In addition to all the etiquette and advice, the Breakfast exhibit passed along interesting tidbits about our morning meal, such as brunch being called a “party” breakfast. Dr. Stonestreet’s Medical Museum was filled with people all afternoon as he explained about his practice from 1853 to 1903 while his mother, Mrs. Stonestreet, kept folks chuckling about keeping cool. Imagine wearing a cabbage leaf under your hat. Even my seven-year-old enjoyed all her recipes and stories.

In general seven-year-olds are not enamored with historical walking tours, so we didn’t complete the “Victorian Homes and Summer Hotels” tour led by Mary van Balgooy, the new Executive Director of Peerless Rockville. The walk down West Montgomery Avenue to Chestnut Lodge described the history of all those exceptional homes and the people who first built them. We could easily picture long-ago Rockville. Next time it’s offered, I’ll complete the tour and I recommend that you do too.

The City of Rockville Historic District Commission was on hand with brochures for self-guided walking tours. You can explore the graves in the Rockville Cemetery. Soon there will be markers installed for the African American Heritage sites tour.

The Good Advice and Breakfast Exhibits are on display at the Beall-Dawson House through September 21, 2008. Tuesday through Sunday, 12 – 4 PM with admission.

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