Spencerville Local Park

Did the land beneath Spencerville Local Park ever imagine it would host tennis matches under the glow of lights? Spencerville Local Park in Silver Spring, Maryland, isn’t just a green space. It’s a testament to community growth and the legacy of an extraordinary woman. The park, with its playgrounds, ball fields, and lighted tennis and basketball courts, stands on 18.4 acres. Montgomery Parks acquired the land in three stages: two acres in 1956, ten more in 1965, and finally, the remaining 6.4 acres in 1968. Today, it offers a pesticide-free haven for recreation. But beneath the surface of fun and games lies a richer story. The Spencerville-Mildred Pumphery Park Activity Building, a 1,500-square-foot facility with a kitchen and restrooms, sits on the very ground where the Spencerville School once stood. This two-room school served Black students from 1928 until the early 1950s. The community center, opened in 1984, honors Mildred Adams Pumphrey (1916-1984), a remarkable educator and lifelong Spencerville resident. As a teenager, Mildred faced the harsh realities of segregation. No school bus existed to transport her to the county’s only secondary school for African Americans. Her father arranged for her to attend school in DC. She endured long commutes, skating to and from the streetcar stop to stay warm, even denied the simple comfort of standing inside a nearby store during cold weather. Mildred’s dedication to education led her to Bowie State College. She earned a Bachelor of Education and then taught at Sandy Spring Elementary School. She also directed the summer recreation program at the Smithville Center, navigating a segregated school and recreation system. After the closure of segregated schools in 1959, Mildred integrated the faculty of Jackson Road Elementary School, where she dedicated 16 years until retirement. The community center stands as a tribute to her compassion and unwavering support for her community. Mildred Pumphrey, a champion for education and recreation, passed away in March 1984, just months before the building bearing her name was completed. Spencerville Local Park is not just a park. It is a living memory, a place where the echoes of history intertwine with the laughter of children on the playground.