Northeast of Washington, D.C., lays a “town within a forest.”
Washington Grove is a shady hamlet tucked beneath an age-old
stand of forest. It’s a town built purposefully around trees,
one of the early intentionally planned garden cities. The garden
city was a concept initiated by Ebenezer Howard in 1898 to
address the pollution and overcrowding resulting in cities due
to the Industrial Revolution. Unlike nearby Greenbelt that
earned its fame for having been F.D.R.’s federal social housing
venture, Washington Grove was a private venture. Founded by
Methodists from D.C. looking for a summer revival camp away from
the heat of the city on 267.5 acres along the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Metropolitan Line, Washington Grove began – like
Coronado – as a tent city. Only it was religious zealots who
found shelter beneath the canvas roofs rather than beachgoing
tourists. On July 4th, 1873, they held their first country
revival meeting, where 258 tents were laid out. The following
year saw the establishment of the “Sacr