In 1920, Carolyn Gangwer Caughey (pronounced "Coy") ventured out of Washington, west along the Old Conduit Road (Macarthur Blvd.) to view her newly purchased estate near Great Falls. Tall cedars, poplars and oaks covered rock studded hills rolling gently down a stream valley. The natural elements immediately suggested to Mrs. Caughey a name for her country estate, Rockwood.

A wealthy socialite whose ancestors went back to the American Revolution, Carolyn was also a skillful businesswoman with a love for architecture and a keen knack for making money in real estate. Who's Who in the Nation's Capital lists her as "Active in civic betterment, especially related to better constructed and better planned homes." It also credits her with designing and building one of the large apartment houses in the Nation's Capital.

Therefore, it came as no surprise to many of her close friends that she designed and personally supervised the construction of her new house. Frequent visits to auction and antique dealers in the area helped her furnish her country estate.

Carolyn and her husband, John Wilson Caughey, had no children. But, as a true model for women's achievement long before such traits were fashionable, she was extremely interested in character building for young women and wanted her country estate to be used for that purpose. Her admiration for the fledging Girl Scout movement during the early 1930's—personified by courage and leadership displayed by young Helen Zelov, during a theatre fire in Washington, DC—led her to select the organization to become the beneficiary of her beloved Rockwood. Carolyn Gangwer died at Rockwood in July 1936.

Initially operated by the local council and, after 1946, by the national organization, the estate became known as "Rockwood Girl Scout National Center," offering accommodations in its dormitory style units for civic, cultural, religious and educational groups.

At its height, Rockwood—as one of only four National Girl Scout Camps in the United States—played host to 15,000 to 20,000 Girl Scouts each year, as they came to visit Washington.

Then, in 1976, the board of directors of Girl Scouts U.S.A. Inc., citing excessive costs in operating the center, announced their intention to sell Rockwood to local developers who wanted to build single-family homes on the 93-acre site. Local scout troops and citizens' associations came together in 1979 as a "Rescue Rockwood Committee" and filed a class action suit to block the sale, claiming that it violated the terms of Carolyn Caughey's Will. The case was settled 1981. Approximately 60 acres were sold to developers. The remaining 30 acres and ownership of the Manor House, Carolyn Cottage and several other buildings were transferred to The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission for use as a public park.

The Commission, through its Department of Parks in Montgomery County, has renovated the property. To carry out Carolyn Caughey's legacy, Rockwood Manor Park plays host to social, civic, business organizations and to Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Youth Groups and students of Montgomery County Public Schools as an overnight conference center and meeting place.

Many thanks to Mark Walston (Historian for M-NCPPC), The Friends of Rockwood and The Washington Post, October 24, 1934, for contributions to this historical summary.

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Brooke Hall – Named for Mrs. Frederick H. Brooke, National President of the Girl Scouts in 1937 (when the Rockwood gift was received).

Carolyn Cottage & Caughey Room – Named for Carolyn Gangwer Caughey, the designer, builder and original owner of Rockwood.

French House (Nurse's Station) – Named for the former caretaker of Rockwood, Alexander B. French, whose family resided on the site.

Girl Scout Room – Serves as a display room for Rockwood memorabilia and a mini-archives of Girl Scout history.

Hoover Room – Named for Mrs. Lou Henry Hoover, wife of President Herbert Hoover, who was twice National President of the Girl Scouts.

Knox Room – Named for "Miss Lucy" Knox, who served as the Assistant Director of Rockwood National Girl Scout Center for 10 years.

Manor House – The original centerpiece of the Rockwood Manor Estate.

The Oaks & Tall Timbers – Named for two of the original cabins surrounded by tent platform units at Rockwood.

Rapidan Room – Named for the Hoovers' presidential retreat in Shenandoah National Park. In 1941, Mrs. Hoover donated furniture from Camp Rapidan to Rockwood.

Salomon Room – Named for Julian Salomon, a land planner with the National Park Service in the 1930's whose credits include the design of "Shangri-La," the mountain retreat of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Salomon, as the official campground and property planner for the Girl Scouts, in the late 1940's, began designing Rockwood as a full-service camping facility.

Skyview Lodge & Weston Hill – Named for two cabins and tent areas specifically used by handicap scouts.

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