Entrepreneur Park

North Brentwood, MD

Entrepreneur Park celebrates the legacy of self-sufficiency and small business ownership of the founding residents of North Brentwood, the first African American incorporated town in Prince George’s County, MD. Discrimination during the Jim Crow era prevented black residents from patronizing white-owned businesses, so they created their own thriving business district in North Brentwood. The project is located of the first residence constructed in the town, owned by business-owner Henry Randall. The Town of North Brentwood sought to commemorate the continued spirit of independence and resourcefulness with the creation of Entrepreneur Park for the Town’s Centennial.

The park includes an open lawn surrounded by markers of the businesses and business owners from the initial settlement of the town to current day. Native shrubs and trees create a buffer from the noise of busy Rhode Island Avenue. The large WE ENDURE sign was added at the community’s request so that previous generations can be remembered as the demographics of the Town change over time.

Conroy Landscape Architecture worked with the Neighborhood Design Center (NDC) and NDC volunteers to design the site, with significant input from the North Brentwood Historical Society and the Town Manager.  Information for the business owner signs is informed by Minding Our Business: An Oral History of North Brentwood’s Entrepreneurs, a publication by the North Brentwood Historical Society.