For generations before, the area that is now Fairwood was wide open farmland interlaced by trees, hedgerows and farm paths. Over the years, several separate farms had been joined together into a vast expanse of open land. Two majestic homes have stood on the property for decades - the older of the two, Fairview, dates to the late 1780's and was home to Oden Bowie, Governor of Maryland from 1869-1872. Both homes will remain as historic focal points. The family owners of the Fairwood property left traditional farming in the middle of the 20th century and took up turf farming, creating a rolling landscape of green grass under blue skies.

In the late 1980s, The Rouse Company partnered with the owners of the Washington-Annapolis area land that is today Fairwood, and began working with planners and elected officials to create the most rewarding, enriching community that Prince George's County, Md., had ever seen.