Why do we need the Clarksburg Yard?

Clarksburg Church has been in Clarksburg, MD since the early 1990s when the Clarksburg Master Plan was first drafted. The master plan painted a picture of Clarksburg becoming a dream community that would lure businesses, builders, and buyers — a place where your entire life could be lived while being surrounded by picturesque and natural beauty! Decades later, we have a city with thousands of quickly-built houses, but few of the amenities or infrastructure that were promised.

Our congregation, many of whom are Clarksburg residents, noticed that we were stressed out and tired by having to travel between the places where we work, play, eat, shop, and rest. We noticed that our neighbors were experiencing the same thing and that it was leaving us feeling disconnected and weary. Our kids and teens seemed to suffer the most — they had nothing to do and nowhere to go. There was nothing available to them.

After continuing to listen to our neighbors, we knew that our town needed spaces for residents to cultivate community, culture, identity, shared experience, and belonging.

And we thought: What assets does our church have that could be used to meet this need?

The answer: Land.

Clarksburg Church currently owns approximately 9 acres along Frederick Road, just north of Clarksburg High School and less than a mile north of Rocky Hill Middle School. While our congregation meets in a small building on the property, there is plenty of outdoor space and even a small stand-alone building (formerly a garage) that could be used to create a place for social engagement and community-building.

However, we knew from the beginning that we did not want to create a space just for church people and activities. We were interested in building something for the entire community, regardless of their beliefs or circumstances.

We learned that the best and most utilized community spaces were developed through a process called placemaking: a community-driven and collaborative way to shape a public space that harnesses the ideas and assets of the people who intend to use it. All we knew was that we wanted the space to be accessible and enjoyed by people of all ages, abilities, and socioeconomic backgrounds to improve their health, happiness, and well-being. The placemaking process gave us guidelines on how to create that with our neighbors.

Eventually, this place would take on the name “The Clarksburg Yard.”

Stay tuned, as we are excited to continue sharing the progress we’ve made so far with your help.