Off-Season at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 1910

These winter photographs, taken around 1910 by Lewis Reed, offer a rare glimpse of the Montgomery County Fairgrounds during its off-season; long before crowds, exhibitions, and midway sounds returned each year. Covered in snow and largely still, the fairgrounds appear almost contemplative, preserving a moment in time that contrasts sharply with the bustle normally associated with the annual fair.

The Montgomery County Fair was held in Rockville from 1846 until 1932, serving as one of the county’s most important agricultural and social gatherings. Farmers, merchants, families, and visitors from across the region—including Washington, D.C.—came together to celebrate livestock, crops, craftsmanship, and community. Yet photographs of the fairgrounds outside the fair season are uncommon, making these images particularly significant.

Lewis Reed’s photographs show the grounds at rest. Snow blankets the open spaces, softening the outlines of fences and walkways. Buildings stand closed for the winter, including the Poultry House, which would have been a hive of activity during fair time. In these images, the structures themselves take center stage, revealing their form and placement without the distraction of crowds.

Snow blankets the fairgrounds in this early 20th-century photograph by Lewis Reed. Images such as this offer a rare view of the fairgrounds outside the fair season, documenting the site as it appeared in everyday use.

Reed’s work is notable not only for its subject matter, but for its documentary value. At a time when photography was still a deliberate and technical process, his images captured everyday scenes that might otherwise have gone unrecorded. Today, they provide visual evidence of how the fairgrounds looked and functioned in the early twentieth century, as well as a reminder of the role photography played in preserving local history.

The Poultry House at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, photographed by Lewis Reed during the winter of 1910. Closed for the season, the building would later host livestock exhibits during the annual Montgomery County Fair.

Viewed more than a century later, these snowy scenes connect us to a slower pace of life and to a Montgomery County that was still largely rural. Thanks to Lewis Reed’s careful eye and willingness to document the ordinary as well as the celebrated, these winter moments at the old fairgrounds endure.