Yesterday’s picture featured historic St. Mary’s Church in Rockville at the corner of Veirs Mill and Rockville Pike.  Though it is significant as it was built between 1816 and 1817, has withstood a fire, has undergone a significant restoration, has been placed on the national regester of historic places.  The historic plaque outside the chruch tells the story of dedicated members of the Rockville community who saved the church from destruction when a new building was placed next to it.  

Today’s photo was taken right next to the church.  I had originally gone out to look for this in the begining of July, but I failed to find the grave, and I also gave up when I realized that I had forgotten my memory card.   This is the grave of American author F. Scott Fitzgerald.  

(Aside: How many people out there knew that his name was actually Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald.  Indeed there are enough posts relating to Key that he almost deserves his own category on the site. However, this was no coincidental naming.  The author of books and the author of anthems were related to each other.)  

The quote on the tombstone is from the great gatsby.   However, that is far from the most interesting thing about this grave.  If you look at the church website, you’ll see that FSF was buried here in 1975, but this tomb tells us that he passed in 1940.  So where was he during those 35 years? At the Rockville union cemetery, far away from his family’s plot at St. Mary’s.  It was thanks to the efforts of the Rockville community (who reached out to his daughter for permission) that his remains were brought to this site in 1975. 

One more MD tie to Fitzgerald includes: He rented an apartment in Towson while Zelda was hospitalized at Sheppard Pratt.  (a cheaper hospital at the time according to Zelda’s biographer, Sally Cline.)

Here’s the reason why I ventured to Rockville this weekend.  Well not this building but something nearby.  The reason will be revelaed tomorrow.  (I know that everyone is excited)

This giant building is 51 Monroe Pl., the tallest building in Rockville and it is clearly present from miles around.  I don’t know much about what else happens in there, but my title company was located in there.  

I’ve gone a long time without featuring much from Rockville, despite the fact that I have found myself driving through there a lot. 

I had a specific purpose for going to Rockville this weekend, which was to take a picture of a specific landmark.  This is not that landmark, but I thought it was pretty cool.  This is the original B&O station for Rockville and it has been converted to an office space.  I like how, despite the conversion, they’ve kept some of the railroad charm, including the scale.   Trains still pass by here all the time, as it is right next to the metro tracks now. 

We’ll end the week of parking with a shot of boats parked at the Naval Academy.   Have a great weekend. 

I used to drive by this place all the time to get to lunch from my old job.  One day I finally took a picture.  It fits today becase I took it from a parkign lot.  The real star of this picture is the name of the hair salon.  Seems strange right?  Well, not if you consider that the gates to Andrews AFB are right across the street.  Get it, its across from the air force.   I always found it humorous.

Just throwing in another picture from another parking garage to keep it interesting.  It was taken at the same time as this one.  I really like it because I have to admit that I did not know that there was a muzak company. I also didn’t know that it requires a satellite dish to bring the joy of muzak to hotels, conference centers, elevators, and doctors’ lobbies across the country. 

This is the latest in my “pictures from the parking garage” series. 

Today’s feature: yet another garage.  That dodge emblem is from the “Dodge Garage.”  Because, yes, even garages are selling their names. 

Becasue I had to work this weekend, today’s mdp is limited by what I could capture from the parking garage of my office.   Here is the man from the Power Plant Live sign in Baltimore.

PowerPlant live is a small grouping of bars and restaraunts, etc.  This guy is sort of their mascot.  Or he’s at least their promotional spokesman.  

I don’t know what this guy’s name is, or what he is doing with his lighning bolt lever.  Maybe he’s turning up the volume. Maybe he’s pumping up the excitement.  Either way, he had to work this weekend too, so that made me feel better.

Steam boats used to be used to cross the Chesapeake in the days before bridges crossed the water.  In order to insure that things like Sunday’s accident on the bay bridge, (for those from out of town: on Sunday, a teenager crossed into the other lane of the bay bridge and hit a semi, which fell into the bay.)  I suggest closing the bridges and bringing back the steam boats.  

Of course, when people say steam boats after 1900 or so, they rarely mean boats like this, but here is the Black Eyed Susan.