The region which became Montgomery County was first settled by Europeans in the early 18th century. Before Rockville was formed, large tracts of land were sold to wealthy plantation and merchant families. Many of these tracts were not farmed or built on until years after they were first sold.

The land where Glenview Mansion now stands was once divided into several smaller tracts of land that were surveyed in the 18th century, including "Mill Land" and "Hobson's Choice."

Tobacco was a profitable crop in the region during the early 18th century and it was probably grown on the few small farmsteads which were likely to have existed on these tracts. Within a couple of generations, tobacco had robbed the soil of its fertility and the land was left fallow or planted with grains such as wheat, barley and corn. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, some of the most successful businesses near today's Rockville were grain mills such as Muncaster Mill and Veirs' Mill.