?? **BRANDYWINE HISTORY: BEFORE THE HIGHWAYS, THERE WAS A VILLAGE CALLED T.B.!**? **Recognize these two buildings? One is now the New York Italian Deli!**Long before Brandywine became the community we know today, a small crossroads village called **T.B. (Tee Bee)** stood near what is now Brandywine Road and Old Brandywine Road.**
HOW DID T.B. GET ITS NAME?**According to local history, T.B. took its unusual name from a boundary stone separating land owned by two prominent families: William Townshend and Thomas Brooke. The stone reportedly had a “T” carved on one side and a “B” on the other. During the 1800s, T.B. became a busy rural crossroads community with general stores, churches, schools, blacksmith shops and doctors. By the late 1880s, approximately 150 people lived there.
**? THE AMOCO BUILDING — WHAT WAS IT ORIGINALLY?**Look closely at the old photograph! The building on the **LEFT, displaying the AMOCO sign**, was originally the Marlow-Huntt General Store, constructed in **1867**. Also known historically as the People’s Store, it served residents and travelers and was associated with the community’s post office. The AMOCO sign in the photograph shows how the storefront’s appearance changed during the automobile era. Today, this historic building is home to the **New York Italian Deli & Restaurant at 13700 Old Brandywine Road**.
**? WHAT ABOUT THE TWO-STORY BUILDING ON THE RIGHT?**
That building was the **J. Eli Huntt Casket Shop**, constructed around **1878**.Besides making or selling caskets, the building served as a meeting place for a local temperance society. Its historic address is 13702 Old Brandywine Road. These buildings are recognized as surviving landmarks of the original T.B. community.
**? SO HOW DID THE AREA BECOME KNOWN AS BRANDYWINE?**T.B. and Brandywine actually began as two separate communities. Brandywine developed approximately 1.5 miles east of T.B. during the 1840s. Local tradition says the Early family named Brandywine after the Revolutionary War’s Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania. When the railroad arrived in the 1870s, Brandywine became a growing commercial center. Over time, Brandywine grew while T.B. declined, and the former crossroads became part of the larger Brandywine community.
**?? PRESERVING OUR LOCAL HISTORY** Think about how much history has passed through these buildings since 1867! Today, residents can still visit the former general store and enjoy a meal at New York Italian Deli. **? WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR MEMORIES!**Do you remember when the building displayed the AMOCO sign? Was gasoline sold there? Do you remember the old general store or other businesses that operated there? Share your memories, stories and old photographs in the comments!
? Historical references: Prince George’s County Planning Department, PG Parks History, and local historian Laurie Verge.
**Brandywine MDcom — Preserving the History of Southern Prince George’s County.**
#BrandywineMD #BrandywineHistory #TBMaryland #PrinceGeorgesCounty #OldBrandywineRoad #LocalHistory #BrandywineMDcomHistorical verification: [County historic building records](https://www.pgplanning.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Historic-Sites-pp.201-245-compressed.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
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