Waters House History Center

The Waters House was built in three parts, the oldest dating to the mid-1790s. Basil Waters (1761-1844), who built the small brick section of the house and named the farm Pleasant Fields, had inherited 200 acres of land (in the area now known as Germantown) from his father, William Waters, of Brookeville, Maryland. Basil’s brothers, Zacariah, and William were also given land and established farms and homes nearby. A fourth brother, Ignatius, inherited the family home, Belmont, in Brookeville. Although many descendants of the Waters brothers still live in this area, only Basil’s house, Pleasant Fields, still stands.

The Germantown campus of the Historical Society is made up of the Waters House, a ca. 1790s farmhouse (with later additions), and several original outbuildings. The Waters House includes exhibit galleries, a research library, and a museum shop. The house is not furnished as a traditional historic house museum. Tours of the exhibits are self-guided; a walking tour, also self-guided, of the grounds is available.

Featured Articles

How the Cherry Blossoms Came to Washington

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Rarely has the full story been told how a famed botanist, a pioneering female journalist, and First Lady Helen Taft battled reluctant bureaucrats to bring Japanese cherry trees to Washington.

Bank Failures: As American as Apple Pie

by John Steele Gordon

Why have thousands of U.S. banks failed over the years? The answers are in our history and politics.

Reconsidering Jimmy Carter

by Kai Bird

Often thought to have been a weak President, Carter was strong-willed in doing what he thought was right, regardless of expediency or political fallout.

“With Malice Toward None”

by Jon Meacham

In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln embodied leading in a time of polarization, political disagreement, and differing understandings of reality.

The Indian World of George Washington

by Colin G. Calloway

Native American peoples and the lands they possessed loomed large for Washington, from his first trips westward as a surveyor to his years as President.

“These Are No Ordinary Times”

by Adam Hochschild

A hundred years ago, America was rocked by riots, repression, and racial violence.

Yellow Fever Stalks the Founders

by Stephen Fried

During Pres. Washington’s first term, an epidemic killed one tenth of all the inhabitants of Philadelphia, then the capital of the young United States.

Upon Starved Rock

by Mark Walczynski

Now a popular state park, the unassuming geological feature along the Illinois River has served as the site of centuries of human habitation and discovery.

Revenge of the Nevada

by Ed Offley

The recent discovery of the hull of the battleship Nevada recalls her dramatic action at Pearl Harbor and ultimate revenge on D-Day as the first ship to fire on the Nazis.

Confederates in Congress: Heritage or Hate?

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Our research reveals that 19 artworks in the U.S. Capitol honor men who were Confederate officers or officials. What many of them said, and did, is truly despicable.

A Special Issue on Presidential Misdeeds

by Edwin S. Grosvenor

Here is probably the most wide-ranging look at Presidential misbehavior ever published in a magazine.

Marshall's Secret Preparations for War

by Paul Dickson

When Germany unleashed its blitzkreig in 1939, the U.S. Army was only the 17th largest in the world. FDR and Marshall had to build a fighting force able to take on the Nazis, against the wishes of many in Congress.

	Navy – Merchant Marine Memorial Washington, District Of Columbia	Located in Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island, the Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial
	Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park Key West, Florida	Named after 12th president Zachary Taylor, the U. S.
	Wright’s Chance/Queen Anne’s County Historical Society Centreville, Maryland	Dating back to the 1700s, Wright's Chance is a Colonial period plantation house.
	The Powder Magazine Charleston, South Carolina	Construction began on The Powder Magazine in 1712 and was completed by 1713, making it
	Del Webb Sun Cities Museum Sun City, Arizona	The Sun Cities Area Historical Society/Del Webb Sun Cities Museum is dedicated to the p
	Steamship Historical Society of America East Providence, Rhode Island	THE STEAMSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA was established in 1935 as a means of bring
	Tryon Palace New Bern, North Carolina	Tryon Palace is a modern recreation of the original palace, which served as the royal g
	Hampton-Preston Mansion & Gardens Columbia, South Carolina	One of Columbia's oldest remaining historic houses, the Hampton-Preston Mansion was hom
	Old Sturbridge Village Sturbridge, Massachusetts	Old Sturbridge Village is the largest living history museum in New England, spanning o
	Christ Church Alexandria, Virginia	Christ Church was the first Episcopal Church in Alexandria and has played an important
	Barratt's Chapel and Museum Frederica, Delaware	Under the direction of John Wesley after the American Revolutionary War, Thomas Coke an
	Jemez State Monument Heritage Area Jemez Springs, New Mexico	The village of Giusewa was built in the narrow San Diego Canyon by the ancestors of the
	Fort Cooper State Park Inverness, Florida	Located in what is today Fort Cooper State Park, visitors can tour the fort, traverse t
	Yellow Bluff Fort Jacksonville, Florida	This military installation, constructed in 1862, allowed both Confederate and Union tro
	Fort Bedford Museum Bedford, Pennsylvania	The fort was used as the staging point for a number of successful raids during the war.
	Andersonville National Historic Site Andersonville, Georgia	Camp Sumter, commonly called Andersonville, was one of the largest military prisons est
	Fort Morgan Gulf Shores, Alabama	Completed in 1834, Fort Morgan was active during four wars — the Civil War, the Spanish
	Pecos National Historical Park Pecos, New Mexico	The visitor center contains exhibits (text in English and Spanish), a bookstore and a 1
	Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Kennesaw, Georgia	It was a swelteringly hot and clear Monday, June 27, 1864,
	Camp Moore Kentwood, Louisiana	In May 1861, the site for the camp was selected and the troops began to arrive.
	Fort Lee Historic Park Fort Lee, New York	In the southern portion of the Historic Park, winding paths lead past a reconstructed b
	River Raisin Battlefield Monroe, Michigan	This is the site of the Battle of Frenchtown, where British and Native American forces
	Gunston Hall Plantation Mason Neck, Virginia	George Mason was instrumental in the framing of the United States government, but he sh
	Davies Manor Plantation Memphis, Tennessee	Davies Manor Plantation is a remarkably preserved historic site within an urban area.
	Hacienda Buena Vista Ponce, Puerto Rico	Hacienda Buena Vista, considered one of Puerto Rico's best remaining examples of a coff
	Destrehan Plantation Destrehan, Louisiana	Erected in 1787 by Charles Paquet, Destrehan Plantation was purchased by indigo planter
	Historic Brattonsville McConnells, South Carolina	Historic Brattonsville is a 775-acre historic site that includes a Revolutionary War ba
	Milton Hershey School Hershey, Pennsylvania	Milton Hershey School began as a dream and vision shared by chocolate magnate Milton S.
	Fort Delaware State Park Delaware City, Delaware	Established as a Delaware State Park in 1951, Fort Delaware State Park is on an island
	Iowa Jewish Historical Society Des Moines, Iowa	IJHS collects Jewish organizati

Waters House History Center

We hope you enjoy our work.

Featured Articles

Location

Hours

Contact

Fees

39.206641, -77.258356

Waters House History Center

Featured Sites

We hope you enjoy our work.

Featured Articles

Location

Hours

Contact

Fees

39.206641, -77.258356