Riley-Bolten House

The Riley-Bolten House is a residential property in North Bethesda featuring a main structure from the early 1800s and a log addition built later in that century. The one-and-a-half-story frame building was renovated during the 1930s and shows a blend of original materials and updated design elements.

The property was constructed as a working farmstead in the early 1800s and later expanded with additional rooms to meet changing needs. A major renovation in the 1930s updated the building while keeping its fundamental character intact.

The house carries the names of two families who called it home across different eras, and its exterior shows the simple, local building traditions of rural property ownership. Visitors today can sense how it reflected the working life of a farming household before the surrounding area became suburban.

The building sits in what was once open farmland but is now a suburban neighborhood, making it accessible by car or on foot from nearby roads. Parking is available in the surrounding streets and the property sits at ground level with no significant obstacles to viewing the exterior.

The property was connected to a broader plantation where someone lived whose autobiography became inspiration for an important American novel that shaped national conversations. This historical link to a larger story is often missed by visitors who focus only on the building itself.

Location: Montgomery County

Official opening: 2006

Architectural style: Colonial Revival architecture

GPS coordinates: 39.04390,-77.12140

Latest update: December 12, 2025 14:24