Stampless folded letter - Brookville, PA - Postmark CV $40 - 1846

The Brookeville, Maryland post office was established in 1802, making it one of the earliest official mail locations in Montgomery County. Caleb Bentley, a prominent Quaker goldsmith and watchmaker, was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as the town's first postmaster.

Caleb Bentley operated the post office alongside a general store directly out of the east wing of his Federal-style residence on Market Street.

Due to its early establishment, Brookeville eventually became an official stop on the federal post road connecting Washington, D.C. to Taneytown in Carroll County.

The post office and Bentley's home played a critical role in American history during the War of 1812. On August 26, 1814, President James Madison fled to Brookeville after British troops burned the White House and the Capitol building.Because Bentley’s home housed the post office, it was the closest thing to a federal facility in the town. Madison spent the night at the house, effectively making the Bentley home and post office the United States Capital for a Day.

Letter transcription included.