Layhill

History

A land patent for Lay Hill was issued on August 17, 1716. The size was recorded as . The Victorian-style church now called Oak Chapel was originally built in 1887. It was formed when a nearby church divided on the issue of slavery, and the pro-slavery members formed this congregation. The fieldstone for the foundation was gathered by ox cart from neighboring land, while the timber was donated by George Bonifant Sr. from his nearby farm. A local saw mill made the boards. The chapel's cornerstone was laid on April 10, 1887. Lay Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, South was formally incorporated on October 26, 1886, and its first Board of Trustees consisted of George Bonifant, Andrew Johnson Cashell, John George Yewel Cashell, James William Godfrey, and Bennett Rufus Wilkerson. It was a congregation of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which had been formed in 1845 after the Methodist Episcopal Church had banned the ownership of enslaved people. The police officers arrested Alfred Crum of Kensington, charging him with possession of paraphernalia for manufacturing of intoxicants. The Montgomery County Council denied the permit. It was called the Flying E Ranch Rodeo, and 130 cowboys and 200 head of cattle performed for spectators. Members of local churches complained to police about the beer drinking. Radie Evans, who operated the rodeo, had claimed to own the land for the rodeo when he applied for beer licenses. After selling its land to a developer, the club moved to Four Corners, Maryland, on September 30, 1923. The club operated in Four Corners until selling its land to be used for housing in 1945. Argyle Country Club reopened at its present Layhill location on June 28, 1947. The Layhill South neighborhood was developed in 1963. Layhill Village and Layhill Forest…

Geography

Layhill is in eastern Montgomery County, bordered by Cloverly to the northeast, Aspen Hill to the northwest, Glenmont to the south, and Colesville to the southeast. The center of the community is the intersection of Maryland Route 182 (Layhill Road) and Bonifant Road/Bel Pre Road. MD 182 leads south to Wheaton and north to Olney. Rockville, the Montgomery county seat, is to the west, and downtown Washington, D.C., is to the south. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Layhill CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.56%, are water.

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  145,097
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  117,535
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  110,168
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  109,036
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  98,416
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  98,345
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  97,043
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  94,797

Largest nearby schools

• Montgomery Blair High
  High · Silver Spring · 3,204 students · 16.7:1 ratio
• Walter Johnson High
  High · Bethesda · 2,942 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Wheaton High
  High · Silver Spring · 2,599 students · 16.6:1 ratio
• Gaithersburg High
  High · Gaithersburg · 2,436 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Richard Montgomery High
  High · Rockville · 2,390 students · 17.8:1 ratio
• Bethesda-Chevy Chase High
  High · Bethesda · 2,335 students · 18:1 ratio
• Winston Churchill High
  High · Potomac · 2,234 students · 18.6:1 ratio
• Paint Branch High
  High · Burtonsville · 2,135 students · 16.4:1 ratio