As the sun set on August 26, 1814, a weary James Madison
rode into the town of Brookeville, Maryland. The President of
the United States had been on the move for nearly three days
since he left Washington ahead of the British troops marching
to capture the city.
In Brookeville, the President found a small but prosperous industrial town overflowing with other refugees from Washington. After a night spent at the home of leading residents Caleb and Henrietta Bentley, Madison and his attendants returned to Washington the next morning. His stay made the town "U.S. Capital for a Day," a title the town still proudly claims today.
Brookeville 1814 explores the people and community that welcomed the
President and the town's place in American history.
Explore Brookeville's History
Additional Resources
Interactive Map of Brookeville in 1814
Brookeville in 1814 had about 15 houses, a tannery,
blacksmith, store, and several mills.
Click on a lot
below to learn more about the people who lived and worked
there.
Credits
- Megan O'Hern: Staff Researcher
- Kyle Bacon: DAR Research Fellow
- Jackson Gilman-Forlini: DAR Research Fellow
- Owen Lourie: Project Manager
-
Funding for this project has been provided by a Special
Projects Grant from the National Society of the Daughters of
the American Revolution, and by the State of Maryland.
-
Special thanks to Sandra Heiler, Senator Karen S. Montgomery,
the Janet Montgomery Chapter of the Daughters of the American
Revolution, and
the Friends of the Maryland State Archives.
Image Source: "The taking of the city of Washington in America." G. Thompson, 1814. Library of Congress.