Community Corner
Gassaway Seed and Fertilizer Store
The remnants of Germantown's agricultural past are fast disappearing. Gassaway Seed and Fertizer Store was an important symbol of this heritage.
According to his obituary in 1911, John Hanson Gassaway was one of the most prominent men in Montgomery County — county commissioner, school commissioner, trustee of the Andrew Small Academy, director of the Montgomery County National Bank, and president of the Montgomery County Agricultural Society.
Gassaway’s farm, between Germantown and Darnestown, was the quintessential example of agricultural renewal and safe environmental practices, which were bolstered by his seed and fertilizer store in Germantown and may have helped save farmland in the surrounding area.
The Montgomery County Agricultural Society was formed in 1846 out of need. By the early 1800s, generations of tobacco growers upcounty had depleted the soil of its nutrients. Many farmers had abandoned their farms and moved to more fertile areas. Those who stayed sought ways to bring their fields back to fruition.
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The Gassaway Seed and Fertilizer store in Germantown is shown on both the 1865 Martinet and Bond map and the 1879 Hopkins map and is mentioned in The History of Montgomery County by T.H.S. Boyd, 1879. The store was near the train station so that supplies coming from Washington and from abroad could be easily carried to the store. A floor-level door on the second story provided access to the storage area, with a hoist and pulley above for hauling up large bags of seed and fertilizers.
Gassaway used the store to promote the revolutionary farming methods supported by the Agricultural Society. His store signified the agricultural heritage of Germantown, and its importance as a hub for farmers, who would travel many miles to purchase the latest seeds and fertilizers for their crops and learn of the new innovations in farming methods and equipment.
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After Gassaway’s death, the new owners of the property moved the store back from the road, converted it to a home, and built a residence (now gone) in front of it.
The seed store survived being moved, being converted into living quarters, and being abandoned for more than 40 years, but it did not survive the redevelopment. The store was demolished in 2003 by a new owner of the property, which was on the Montgomery County “Most Endangered Historic Sites” list when it was torn down.
