What do you know about the Scotland Community in Potomac?

[Anonymous]

The land was originally called "New Scotland." It was part of a larger estate owned by a prominent family. Portions were sold off--and after the civil war, a former black slave by the last name of Dove bought about 50 acres. It was not good land for farming. It was all hilly and tree covered. There is a creek that runs through the property called "Snakes Den." Over the years, Dove gave and/or sold land to family, friends, acquaintances. Most of the time the transactions were never recorded, which made sorting out the ownership difficult when the State finally went in to clean up the area. When they went in to clean up the area, they hauled out 200 dump truck loads of trash and that wasn't everything! The rest was buried on the property. You can still find evidence of the trash if you go up into the woods.

[Anonymous]

So as you lament about Scotland's "long sad history," please consider how Edith Welch-Williams spent the last remaining moments of her short life... and how truly sad THAT was...

[Anonymous]

OP I hope you're not just trying to stir up trouble, but it is a primarily African-American community and most of the residents are descended from the original inhabitants of an old house on the property (not sure if the house is still there. If you google it, you will find many articles about it, including the Washington Post article that a PP linked to above.

But no, it is not low income housing as far as I know. We looked at a nicely renovated townhouse in there about 5 years ago and were very turned off by the fact that the neighbors seemed like busy bodies - several people came over and were trying to get in to look during our showing (not an open house) and were very chatty. That might be great for some people who want to live in a social community, but not what I wanted.

[Anonymous]

It's not low-income housing, but something is keeping the property prices unusually low in that neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

There is no old house on that property. NONE of the old shacks remained. I've done the research on this land--including the title work. I've walked the land. NO, I'm not stirring up trouble. Edith's story is true. By the way, the cemetery where is is buried in Rockville couldn't even get her name right--or the names of her parents (Homer Welch and Edith Chloe Story-Welch). They listed her name as "Edith Anita Walker" deceased September 20, 1964. (By the way, that was the date her body was found, not when she died). They spelled her parent's last name as "Welsh." The townhomes have always been underpriced for the area. There has always been issues of crime in the community... I've DONE the research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no old house on that property. NONE of the old shacks remained. I've done the research on this land--including the title work. I've walked the land. NO, I'm not stirring up trouble. Edith's story is true. By the way, the cemetery where is is buried in Rockville couldn't even get her name right--or the names of her parents (Homer Welch and Edith Chloe Story-Welch). They listed her name as "Edith Anita Walker" deceased September 20, 1964. (By the way, that was the date her body was found, not when she died). They spelled her parent's last name as "Welsh." The townhomes have always been underpriced for the area. There has always been issues of crime in the community... I've DONE the research.

OP, if you've DONE the research, then what is the point of your question?

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

What question? I've asked no question, I've provided an answer.

[Anonymous]

This is a years old thread.

[Anonymous]

And your point is??? It's a year old thread. So???

I answered the question "what do you know about Scotland Community"---and what I shared is something that few people know or actually care to know. That's the unfortunate thing. It was shocking to see Edith Anita Welch-Walker's brutal murder completely ignored by the press, police and community. ( Why? Too uncomfortable? Addressing it would cause problems? Cast a bad light? Ok--just seize the land, clean it up and push the members of Scotland Community into government subsidized housing... that solves the problem). In fact, Edith was murdered just 3 months after she graduated from Richard Montgomery High School and the 50th reunion was held this summer. Her classmates who LIVED in Rockville all their lives didn't even know she had died (just a few miles away). The only paper that reported on anything about the story was the Frederick paper and I believe the Washington Times (I need to go back and check my file). Even after the case was finally closed 43 years later (2007), justice never served----AND the cold case office never published the story.

Crime has been a problem in that area for decades. That IS a big part of the reason the housing prices are low.

[Anonymous]

Woops, I meant "Edith Anita Welch-Williams".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not low-income housing, but something is keeping the property prices unusually low in that neighborhood.

Well. Now it is community of townhouses in a great location. Perhaps the homes are small with 1 bath. It would be beneficial to all if oral history projects were done before the elderly community members are all deceased.

Vienna VA has one.

[Anonymous]

The oral history has been done. Google Scotland Community resident "Betty Thompson." She has provided a great deal of it. Ms. Thompson has lived there all her life--and up until very recently, still lived there.

[Anonymous]

Some great friends and people from that neighborhood. The guys I went to high school with are proud Churchill Bulldogs and are great citizens.
They go to top schools: Bells Mill ES, Cabin John Middle and Churchill HS. An important neighborhood then and now.

[Anonymous]

Edith Anita Welch-Williams was actually killed by Emory Galvestor Cooper, Jr., aka "Tootie" Cooper (of 221 Ashley Avenue, Rockville, MD). On the night of August 30, 1964, he ran her car off the road (on Seven Locks Road in an area within a mile of the new Montgomery County Police Station). Her car was left with her purse in it. Her body was found in a pig pen on Cooper's family land (in Scotland Community) on September 20, 1964 about 2 1/2 miles from where her car was left. (A young boy from the community reported the body). Ms. Welch-William's body was badly decomposed and damaged by the pigs. Shortly there after, Cooper was overheard in a bar telling Baker about the murder. Baker became upset because he had lent Cooper his car that night who had obviously used it to abduct Edith. Baker and Cooper were neighbors on Ashley Avenue, Rockville. About six months after this incident, Cooper abducted another woman, this time a 40 year old woman (Ila P. Allnutt) in Poolesville, Maryland. Mrs. Alnutt was able to fight Cooper off, she also managed to get his tag number as he drove off. He was charged in that case and served some time; however the police never made the connection between that case and the Edith Welch-Williams one. It was solved only when an informant came forward 43 years later to say he had overheard Coopers and Baker's conversation. By that time, Cooper was dead. Baker was questioned and before he could be charged, he died. Since 2007, the Montgomery County Police have successfully solved a number of cold cases.