[7] The land where the residential community of Washington Grove now stands, and all of Montgomery County, was traveled and inhabited by indigenous people from around 10,000 BCE.

Members of the Massawomeck, Susquehannock, Senaca (Iroquois), and Piscataway-Conoy tribes lived in the area, primarily using the land as crossover territory toward rock shelters, encampments and sizable villages near the Potomac River.

[10] Camp meetings were a tradition where a group of Methodists would gather in a forest clearing to worship and socialize.

[10] They wanted the location to be less than a day's trip from Washington, and protection from the sale of liquor, because Methodists did not believe in drinking alcohol.

[10] In June 1873, John T. Mitchell, Richard Willett, F. Howard, W.R. Woodward, E.F. Simpson, Mr. Worthington, Thomas P. Morgan, B. Peyton Brown, and a few others purchased 267.5 acres (1.1 km2) of land from the widow of farmer Nathan Cooke for $6,636.25.

[10] The center of the camp was originally named The Plaza and later The Symbolic Circle, and there were six numbered avenues radiating from it.

[10] Families would stay over to attend a two-week-long meeting of the Methodist Episcopal churches of the District of Columbia.

[10] In addition to religious services, lecturers spoke on such topics as women's suffrage and the problem of poverty in cities.

[10] The Maryland legislature gave camp-meeting managers control of all land within a two-mile radius of a meeting site in order to prohibit businesses from opening nearby.

[18] The camp-meeting managers used this power to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages anywhere on the grounds.

[21] The Barrett Brothers, who operated the camp store, asked for an exception to sell ice cream and sandwiches on Sundays, but their request was denied.

[22] The cottages peaked roofs resembled that of the original tents, and the architectural style was Carpenter Gothic, which was fashionable at the time.

[23] In 1879, the trustees voted to borrow $4,000 in order to build a hotel[24] on the western area of the grounds.

[10] The Albany Hotel had big porches, a large dining room, a barber shop, and a small store.

[10] Because the land was owned by the Washington Grove Camp Meeting Association, it had complete control over who purchased and leased the plots.

[28] This is exemplified in one of many deeds, such as one dating from 1925 that reads, That whereas the death rate of persons of African descent is much greater than the death rate of persons of the white race and affects injuriously the health of the town and village communities, and as the permanent location of persons of African descent in such places as owners or tenants constitutes and irreparable injury to the value and usefulness of real estate in the interest of public health and to prevent irreparable injury to the grantor or its successors and assigns, and the owners of adjacent real estate, the grantees, their heirs and assigns, hereby covenant, and agree with the grantor, its successors and assigns, that they will not sell, conveyor rent the premises hereby conveyed, the whole or any part thereof, or any structure thereon, to any person of African descent.

[10] By the 1920s, the Washington Grove Camp Meeting Association began selling portions of land, slowly replacing the 99-year leases.

[10] By 1934, the Washington Grove Camp Meeting Association recognized that the area had dramatically changed since its founding.

[10] Reorganization committees met for several years to determine a plan for the future of the community.

[10] In 1937, the Washington Grove Camp Meeting Association was dissolved; the Maryland Legislature incorporated the community as a town on March 26, 1937.

[10] Assembly Hall was in poor condition, the parks were unkempt, and many cottages so dilapidated that they were torn down.

[10] In 1955, the Town of Washington Grove obtained zoning and planning powers in order to control future growth.

[10] In 1975, a master plan was written in order to retain the existing historic nature of the town.

[10] The town applied for National Register of Historic Places status in 1979, and it was approved the following year.

On a fine evening, the walkways hum with people and cats strolling, walking dogs, and chatting.

In 2013, Preservation Maryland placed Washington Grove on its list of threatened historic properties.

Washington Grove is governed by a town council consisting of six elected councilors and a mayor.

When issues of significant importance are pending, a special town meeting is often called to allow for an exchange of ideas.