Location: The eastern border of Montgomery County. Olney and Rockville lie to the south, while Gaithersburg and Germantown are to the northwest.
Average listing price: Homes range from about $300,000 to more than $1 million in the Brookeville area, says real estate agent Kathy Virkus of RE/MAX Realty Centre in Olney.
Size: Historic Brookeville, which is known as the Town of Brookeville to locals, is laid out over 60 acres and is home to about 130 people.
The history: Originally a Quaker town settled in 1794, the Town of Brookeville is best known today for its role in the War of 1812. Fearing an impending British invasion, Washington, D.C., residents and dignitaries fled to Brookeville, which is approximately 18 miles north of the capital. Money from Washington banks was safeguarded at the Brookeville post office, and the town was dubbed “United States Capital for a Day” in August 1812 when President James Madison sought refuge in one of Brookeville’s original homes, now known as the Madison House. Brookeville was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
What’s there: In historic Brookeville, preservation measures have kept many of the facades as historically accurate as possible. A large number of original structures remain, including Brookeville Academy, which is now used as a community center and dates back to 1810. The former market town, which has only two paved streets and no commercial buildings, maintains a walkable “rural village” feel, says Virkus. She adds that it is rare for two properties here to be on the market at the same time, and sometimes three or four years pass before another house is listed for sale.
Why Brookeville: Sandy Heiler and her husband live in the Madison House, which won first place in a historic home renovation contest organized by The Washington Post in 2012. The Heilers have copies of letters written by President Madison during his stay at the house, and many of the home’s original glass windows and plaster walls are still intact.