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Downtown Bethesda Walking Tour
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The Bethesda Farm Women's Market, also known as the Montgomery Farm Women's Cooperative Market is a farmers market that operates year-round in downtown Bethesda. The farmers market building is located on the corner of Willow Lane and Wisconsin Avenue and was constructed c. 1932. The market is the county's oldest market, and in addition, it represents a movement of farmers' wives in the Great Depression looking for new avenues of revenue.

Facade of the Farm Womens Market

Wood, Property, Architecture, Photograph

Market circa 1932

Motor vehicle, Mode of transport, Transport, Architecture

People, Sleeve, Photograph, Uniform

Market stalls at Farm Womens Market

Monochrome, Vintage clothing, Black-and-white, Monochrome photography

The Bethesda Farm Women's Market was started by a group of 19 farm women, led by Blanche A Corwin, in Montgomery County who were suffering from the Great Depression and low prices who needed more money. The market first opened on February 4, 1932, in an old store on Wisconsin Avenue, and it was a large success. By the end of 1932, the group moved into its current structure, and they purchased it in 1935.

The building of the farm market is a simple 105 feet by 45 feet rectangular frame on a concrete foundation, covered in german siding. Double door entrances on the east (rear) and west (front) lead into the one room structure.

Currently, the market has around two dozen vendors and is open three times a week. Recently, plans have formed to redevelop, move, and add an addition to the market as well as creating a much denser nearby space.

Memorandum, "Maryland Historical Trust State Historic Trusts Form, M: 35-14-1," n.d., accessed January 2, 2021, https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/Montgomery/M;%2035-14-1.pdf

Fisher, Kyle. Montgomery County’s Oldest Market: The Farm Women’s Cooperative in Bethesda, Preservation Maryland. January 25th 2017. Accessed January 2nd 2021. https://www.preservationmaryland.org/moco-farm-womens-market/.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Heritage Montgomery

Montgomery Planning

Farm Womens Market

Preservation Maryland