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Town Chronology

  • 1689

    Joseph’s Park created, Land Patent

  • 1873

    B & O Railroad line traverses Knowles farmland; Knowles Station railroad stop established

    1880

    Fawcett dry goods store, post office open; area population: 75

  • 1886

    St. Paul’s Methodist Church, first church in Knowles Station, is established

  • 1890

    Several hundred residents, ten subdivisions, Kensington Grammar School opens

  • 1891

    B & O Train Station built

  • 1892

    Ken Gar established, Warner mansion built

  • 1893

    Noyes Library opens; new railroad station built; Knowles Station stop renamed as “Kensington”

  •  1894

    Fire service organized; Town of Kensington incorporated

  •  1895

    Montgomery Press established; Chevy Chase Lake & Kensington Railway(trolley line) begins operations

  • 1898

    Town adds brick sidewalks along streets

  • 1908

    Kensington Bank built

  • 1910

    Telephone and Electric Service available

  • 1914

    Town installs water system, adds fire hydrants

  • 1915

    Town sewage system

  • 1916

    McKeevers Bakery and Ice Cream Factory opens

  • 1925

    Fire Department chartered

  • 1927

    National Guard Armory built

  • 1930

    Roads paved with asphalt

  • 1933

    Trolley discontinued

  • 1936

    Population 1012

  • 1938

    Railroad bridge built to extend Lincoln Avenue (now Connecticut Avenue) north

  • 1946

    Fire station opens on Connecticut Avenue

    1946

    Population 1500+

  • 1950

    Commercial area develops in vicinity of fire station; town population: 1,611

  • 1952

    Connecticut Avenue bridge widened

  • 1952-1964

    Commercial area on Metropolitan Avenue develops

  • 1954-1959

    Commercial area at Connecticut and Knowles Avenues develops

  • 1960’s

    Howard Avenue’s Antique Village evolves

  • 1965

    Office building at 10400 Connecticut Avenue built

  • 1972

    Noyes Library becomes a children’s library

  • 1976

    Kensington purchases Armory building for use as Town Hall

  • 1977

    Kensington Historical Society formed

    1980

    Office building at 10401 Connecticut Avenue built; Kensington Historic District established, placed on the National Register of Historic Places

  • 1982

    Kensington Elementary School closed

  • 1986

    Historic District placed on Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation

  • 1992

    Kensington Land Trust established

  • 2000

    Population 1873

  • 2001

    Metropolitan Avenue Concrete Plant closed

  • 2002

    Town and State Highway Administration revitalize Metropolitan Avenue

  • 2003

    Town and Montgomery County initiative to revitalize east Howard Avenue

  • 2007

    Montgomery County completes purchase of the Warner Circle property through Legacy Open Space program

  • 2008

    Safeway store rebuilt on enlarged Connecticut Avenue site

  • 2010

    Population: approximately 2100

  • 2012

    Updated Kensington Vicinity Sector Plan adopted