Heart of the Civil War

Haunted History at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
2025-10-18 17:00, 2025-10-25 17:00, 2025-10-26 17:00 UTC | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Starting on October 11th, tour the most haunted building in Frederick – the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Explore the building’s history amidst the darkened galleries and offices. On the tour, staff and volunteers will share stories of Civil War embalmers, the building’s most infamous tenants, and their first-hand accounts of paranormal activity that have given the building its spooky reputation. In addition to a trip through the museum galleries, the tour provides exclusive access to the third floor where numerous sightings have occurred.
48 East Patrick Street was built in the 1830s. Before it became the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, the building was a furniture shop and a site of Civil War embalming, as well as home to many Frederick residents and their businesses. The past still echoes through the halls of the building. The haunting sights, sounds, and sensations from the building have been reported for decades by the people who lived and worked in the building over many years. Join us to hear our staff and volunteers’ stories first-hand.
You are invited to bring your own cameras and ghost-finding apps – who knows what you’ll capture!
Flash photography and LIVE streaming are prohibited. Tours will be given on October 11, 18, 25, and 26 from 5:00-6:30PM. This year we are offering two special Halloween tours on Friday, October 31 from 5:00-7:30 and 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. During these special Halloween night tours, you’ll have additional time to tour the galleries without a guide.

Spirits of the Furnace
2025-10-18 18:30 (America/New_York) | Catoctin Furnace, 12610 Catoctin Furnace Road, Thurmont, Maryland, 21788
The spirits come out one night a year at Catoctin Furnace. Meet a soldier in the Mexican American war who died in a duel. See the ghost of an enslaved ironworker. You might even run into the Snallygaster, a creature who haunted the skies above Frederick County.

Mason-Dixon Jeep Gathering
2025-10-19 10:00 UTC | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Come out and see a large collection of Willys and Jeeps at the historic Union Mills Homestead. This is one of the largest vintage Jeep shows on the East Coast. This year is the 18th Anniversary of this annual event. See World War II and Korean War era military Jeeps and the civilian Jeeps and utility vehicles that are the grandfathers of today’s Jeeps & SUVs.
Jeeps can be entered into one of three categories at the show: Best Military Jeep, Best CJ (Civilian Jeep) and Best Non-Jeep. The non-jeep category features Willys trucks and station wagons. Everyone in attendance will vote on each of the three categories to name the winners.
This eventis free, standard admission for tours of the Homestead and Grist Mill. Tours of the Historic house and Mill available for a small fee from noon – 4:00 pm, with the last tour starting at 3:00 pm.

Box Lunch Talk: The History of New Windsor State Bank presented by Tom Rasmussen
2025-10-21 12:00 UTC | Grace Lutheran Church, 21 Carroll Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
From 1932 until 2017, when it was purchased by ACNB Corporation, New Windsor State Bank played an important role in the community and in the development of Carroll County. Recently the bank’s historical records were donated to the New Windsor Heritage Society. Tom Rasmussen, President of New Windsor State Bank from 2001 to 2017, will share important milestones in the bank’s history.
As always, there is no registration for Box Lunch Talks. You bring your lunch, and we provide the drinks and desserts (thanks to our volunteers and staff). The cost is $3 for HSCC members and $5 for nonmembers.
Questions? Please contact Laura Bankard, Outreach & Events Director at lbankard@hsccmd.org or 410.848.6494 ext. 200.

Civil War Style Church Service
2025-10-26 13:00 UTC | Rocky Springs Chapel, 7817 Rocky Springs Road, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
Attend a Civil War-style, nondenominational Christian church service at Historic Rocky Springs Chapel on Sunday, October 26, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. Chaplain Edward “Scott” Sturdivant will preach the sermon wearing Civil War period attire. A short living history program will follow the church service. HRSC is dedicated to using living history programs to accurately educate the public on Christian practices and the impact of faith on American society during the Civil War.
The chapel is located at 7817 Rocky Springs Road, Frederick, Maryland. The event is free and open to the public. The wearing of Civil War period attire is encouraged but not required.
Questions about the event should be directed to HRSC Trustee Kirk Callison or HRSC Trustee Maria Callison at (301) 874-4737 (Home); (240) 409-8361 (cell); or kmcallison@verizon.net

2025 Annual Meeting – “From German Auxiliary to American Artist: The Life and Work of Frederick Kemmelmeyer” presented by Nicholas Powers
2025-10-28 11:30 UTC | Westminster Riding Club, 366 N. Colonial Avenue, Westminster, Maryland, 21157
Mark your calendar for this year’s HSCC Annual Meeting of the membership on October 28, doors will open at 11:30 a.m., lunch will be served at 12 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Westminster Riding Club, 366 N. Colonial Avenue, Westminster. A sandwich buffet and dessert will be provided by Lib’s Catering followed by Society business and the event’s keynote speaker. HSCC’s third annual Distinguished Awards and Volunteer of the Year recognition will also be presented. If you haven’t already done so, please submit your recommendation for Distinguished Awards at Award Nominations – Carroll County Historical Society.
This year we will hear from A. Nicholas Powers, Curator of Collections at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. The title of his presentation will be “From German Auxiliary to American Artist: The Life and Work of Frederick Kemmelmeyer”.
At the end of the Revolutionary War, some 3,000 of the 30,000 German troops fighting for the British cause chose to remain in America. Among them was Frederick Kemmelmeyer, a surgeon’s assistant who deserted British forces as they pulled out of Charleston, South Carolina. Kemmelmeyer re-emerged from the war as an itinerant artist working in Baltimore, western Maryland, and the Shenandoah Valley, with a surviving body of work that tracks his evolution from a cultural German to a visually-literate German-American citizen. In addition to an impressive body of portraiture, including one subject from Carroll County, Kemmelmeyer produced genre paintings replacing recognizable images of European monarchs with American heroes like George Washington. In addition to exploring Kemmelmeyer’s life and extant works, this lecture will also preview the MSV’s upcoming semi-quincentennial exhibition Revolutionary Valley, which will feature works by the artist painted in the Shenandoah Valley.
The menu will be released shortly. The cost is $45 for members, $55 for non-members. Please contact Laura Bankard to reserve your place today! Reservations and payments need to be received by October 14.
Currently there are two Exclusive Sponsorships available:
Food Sponsorship – $500
Speaker Sponsorship – $500
We look forward to seeing you on October 28th!

Haunted History Halloween Night at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
2025-10-31 17:00, 2025-10-31 19:30 UTC | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Tour the most haunted building in Frederick – the National Museum of Civil War Medicine on HALLOWEEN NIGHT! Explore the building’s history amidst the darkened galleries and offices. On the tour, staff and volunteers will share stories of Civil War embalmers, the building’s most infamous tenants, and their first-hand accounts of paranormal activity that have given the building its spooky reputation. In addition to a trip through the museum galleries, the tour provides exclusive access to the third floor where numerous sightings have occurred.
You are invited to bring your own cameras and ghost-finding apps – who knows what you’ll capture! Flash photography and LIVE streaming are prohibited.
This year we are offering two special Halloween tours on Friday, October 31 from 5:00-7:30 and 7:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. During these special Halloween night tours, you’ll have additional time to tour the galleries without a guide. Click below to buy your ticket(s) today.

Jonathan Hager Week - Fall Vendor Event
2025-11-01 09:00 (America/New_York) | Christ’s Reformed Church, 130 W. Franklin St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Christ’s Reformed Church Fall Vendor Event, 9am – 2pm
Enjoy fall fun with vendors and food trucks at Christ’s Reformed Church, 130 W. Franklin St.

Jonathan Hager Week Kickoff
2025-11-01 10:00 (America/New_York) | Jonathan Hager House, 110 Key St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Proclamation & Living History at the Jonathan Hager House, 10am – 4pm
Come to the Jonathan Hager House to kick off Jonathan Hager Week with music, living history, and free tours! Official proclamation scheduled for 10:30am. This event part of the weeklong Jonathan Hager Week.

The Historic Strawbridge Shrine Open House
2025-11-01 10:00 (America/New_York) | The Strawbridge Shrine, 2650 Strawbridge Lane, New Windsor, Maryland, 21776
Come One, Come All! to the historic Strawbridge Shrine Open House. At this site Robert Strawbridge was the first to introduce & establish the Wesleyan Methodist Movement. It is also the former home of Jesse Barnes Union soldier, U.S. Civil War. Featured will be tours of log houses, live music, games for kids and delicious refreshments. All for FREE! For more information call 443-289-0191.

Founder's Footsteps Walking Tour
2025-11-01 12:00 (America/New_York) | Downtown Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Founder’s Footsteps Walking Tour Open House, 12pm – 4pm
Visit all the historic sites on the Founder’s Footsteps walking tour in one day from noon – 4pm! Take tours, view their special collections, and learn about the history of Historic Hagerstown! Includes: Hager House, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Miller House Museum, Western Maryland Room, Zion Reformed Church.

The Sharpsburg Slave Auction Block - History or Folklore?
2025-11-01 13:00 (America/New_York) | Washington County Rural Heritage Museum, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro, MD, 21713, United States
Visit the Washington County Rural Heritage Museum this coming Saturday, November 1st at 1:00pm for a great event the Friends of the Washington Rural Heritage Museum have planned. The museum is hosting a speaker on an topic of local interest. This is a wonderful way for history and social studies high school students to bring to life topics taught in the classroom. Visit their Early Home and Business, Farm exhibit halls, and outdoor Rural Village to learn about African American aspects of 19th-century Washington County rural history about slavery, farmers, Black schools, blacksmiths and Black broom makers.

Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America’s First Opioid Crisis
2025-11-01 15:00 UTC | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
In the wake of the Civil War, many veterans struggled with lingering pain, disabling illnesses, and trauma. Old soldiers often turned to opioids to cope, and thousands became addicted to opium and morphine. Jonathan S. Jones, Assistant Professor of History at James Madison University, will discuss his new book Opium Slavery: Civil War Veterans and America’s First Opioid Crisis. It investigates how the Civil War sparked an opioid epidemic among veterans, how addiction affected their lives, and what this crisis can teach us about the war’s unexpected aftershocks in the postwar decades.
This presentation is free with museum admission.

Jonathan Hager Week - Homecoming Celebration and Reunion
2025-11-02 11:00 (America/New_York) | Zion Reformed United Church of Christ, 201 North Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Homecoming Celebration & Reunion, 11am
Zion Reformed United Church of Christ, 201 N Potomac St. Stay tuned for a live stream link to the event.

Jonathan Hager Week - Hager Patriot Lecture
2025-11-03 18:00 (America/New_York) | Washington County Free Library, 100 South Potomac St., Hagerstown, Maryland, 21740
Hager Patriot Lecture, 6pm
McCauley Lecture: Jonathan Hager – The Forgotten Patriot Legacy of the Father of Western Maryland presented by Hager House guide Matthew Penrod. Hosted at the Fletcher Library by Washington County Public Library.

HCWHA Annual Year-in-Review
2025-11-04 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Wakefield Valley Park Event Center, 1000 Fenby Farm Road, Westminster, MD, 21158
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA) invites you to our annual Year-in-Review celebration on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at the Wakefield Valley Park Event Center (1000 Fenby Farm Road, Westminster, MD 21158).
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Social hour at the Event Center and an open house at the historic Durbin House (adjacent).
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Program with special remarks by Al Spoler, co-host of the long-running radio program Cellar Notes and Contributing Editor to MPT’s Maryland Farm and Harvest.
Refreshments featuring Carroll County agriculture products, including local craft cocktails, wines and beer, will be available.
Generously sponsored by Carroll County Economic Development, this event is FREE to the public. If you plan to attend, please register HERE!

Jonathan Hager Week - From Hager's Roots to Yours
2025-11-04 19:00 (America/New_York) | Christ’s Reformed Church, 130 W. Franklin St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Hager Genealogy Lecture, 7pm
“From Hager’s Roots to Yours” Join Carol Miller-Schultz for a hands-on session designed to help you begin your family tree. Bring along names, dates, and places related to your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents to get started on uncovering your roots. Christ’s Reformed Church, 130 W. Franklin St.

Jonathan Hager Week - Hager's Unsolved Mysteries Lecture
2025-11-05 18:00 (America/New_York) | Zion Reformed United Church of Christ, 201 North Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Hager’s Unsolved Mysteries Lecture, 6pm
Hear former Hager House tour guide, Kay Osmer, explain all the mysteries, unknowns, and debated facts regarding town founder Jonathan Hager. Zion Reformed Church, 201 N Potomac St. – We will be serving a special Founder’s Day Beer produced by Hub City Brewery.

Jonathan Hager Week - Zion Church Graveyard Tour
2025-11-07 18:00 (America/New_York) | Zion Reformed United Church of Christ, 201 North Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Zion Church Graveyard Tour, 6pm
Tour the historic graveyard of Zion Reformed Church after dark with experienced ghost tour guides from the Hager House!

Coffee with the Curator
2025-11-08 10:00 (America/New_York) | Thurmont Historical Society, 11 N. Church Street, Thurmont, Maryland, 21788
Join the Thurmont Historical Society on November 8 from 10am-2pm for Coffee with the Curator! You’ll be able to explore their new exhibit “Honor Lies at Labor’s Gate”: A Tribute to Thurmont High School, see artifacts that didn’t make it into the display, and learn how they designed the exhibit! Historical Society members enjoy free entry from 10am-noon. The general public is welcome from noon-2pm by donation. Free coffee and donuts will be provided.

Jonathan Hager Week - Art Walk
2025-11-08 14:00 (America/New_York) | Downtown Hagerstown, MD, 21740
2nd Saturday: ART WALK, 2pm-7pm
Enjoy an authentic puppet show and live German band in Downtown Hagerstown!

Culture & Cocktails: Archaeology of Western Maryland
2025-11-14 18:00 UTC | Miller House Museum, 135 W Washington St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
On Friday, November 14, join the Washington County Historical Society as Suzanne Trussell from the Allegany County Historical Society in Cumberland, MD, shares about her experience working with archaeology and anthropology projects in Western Maryland.
This month’s cocktail is the Fireball Cider Bomb, a festive blend of Fireball cinnamon whiskey, apple cider, and grenadine. Doors open at 5:30 PM and light hors d’oeuvres will be served!
Culture & Cocktails 2025 has been made possible by the generous support of the James and Mary Schurz Foundation. Please register at the link.

Box Lunch Talk: "Growing into Greatness" Big Tree Documentary presented by Dr. Robert Lemieux
2025-11-18 12:00 UTC | Grace Lutheran Church, 21 Carroll Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
Within Maryland’s 2.5 million acres of forest there are 12 national champion trees. Dr. Robert Lemieux, Associate Professor of Communication and Cinema at McDaniel College, is creating a documentary featuring six of these trees. He will share his work on these inspiring grand champions. As always, there is no registration for Box Lunch Talks. You bring your lunch, and we provide the drinks and desserts (thanks to our volunteers and staff). The cost is $3 for HSCC members and $5 for nonmembers.

Carroll 250 Speaker Series: Francis Scott Key presented by Lou Giles
2025-11-18 18:30 UTC | Exploration Commons, Westminster Branch of Carroll County Public Library, 50 East Main Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
This fascinating talk will focus on Francis Scott Key and will include his family and early years, the War of 1812 and the Dr. Beanes rescue mission, the Star-Spangled Banner, religion, politics (and major cases), and his views on slavery. *Registration is required for this event. Please register at the CCPL link below.
Mr. Giles retired in 2012 as a senior executive in the Defense Department. He presently serves as the President of the Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Maryland, a patriotic organization limited to descendants of soldiers who fought in the War of 1812, and is a member of the Boards of Directors and counsel to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore. Mr. Giles also volunteers at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis and as a docent at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore.
As a passionate amateur historian and genealogist interested in the War of 1812 in Maryland, Mr. Giles enjoys delving into primary sources, local archives, and historical newspapers to uncover new findings and perspectives and sharing these findings through writing, presentations, and community engagement.
Mr. Giles first became interested in Francis Scott Key in 2014 when he was tasked with providing presentations on Key to visitors to Fort McHenry. His genealogy experience and knowledge of resources available at the Maryland State Archives and National Archives allowed him to uncover records on Francis Scott Key that provide a different perspective from most biographers of Key. He has published several articles on Key, including identifying Key’s truce ship on which he authored the Star-Spangled Banner and Key’s views on slavery.
He was recently featured in local and national press reporting after winning an appeal against the Veterans Administration resulting in a ruling allowing enslaved black Americans who fought in early Wars of the United States as servants or waiters to be considered veterans. Mr. Giles is a lifelong Maryland resident who holds degrees in physics, electrical engineering, and law.

Frederick County Civil War Roundtable Meeting and Presentation
2025-11-20 19:00 (America/New_York) | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Join the Frederick County Civil War Roundtable as Carleton Young presents “The Vermont Brigade in the 6th Corps of the Army of the Potomac – Voices From the Attic: The Williamstown Boys in the Civil War,” at their November meeting. Imagine clearing out your family attic and discovering an enormous collection of letters written by two soldiers during the Civil War, but not knowing why the letters were there. Faced with that situation, Carleton Young spent more than a decade visiting battlefields and researching the two soldiers as well as other people who appear in the letters. The two brothers were members of the celebrated Vermont Brigade in the 6th Corps of the Army of the Potomac. In “Voices From the Attic: The Williamstown Boys in the Civil War,” he tells the story of these two brothers who witnessed and made history by fighting in the Peninsula Campaign, then at South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, the Bristoe Campaign, the Wilderness, Petersburg, and Cedar Creek.
This presentation is free for members and $5 suggested fee for non-members.

Christkindlmarkt
2025-11-22 10:00 (America/New_York) | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Join the Union Mills Homestead for a German-style Christmas market. Food and drinks will be available to purchase, along with a variety of hand-crafted and unique gifts from vendors in the Grist Mill and Tannery. Their gift shop will be open for your holiday shopping as will the blacksmith and woodworking shops. A portion of the historic Homestead will be decorated and open for you to visit. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the holiday season at Union Mills, celebrating their German heritage!

Civil War Style Church Service
2025-11-23 13:00 UTC | Rocky Springs Chapel, 7817 Rocky Springs Road, Frederick, MD, 21702, United States
Attend a Civil War-style, nondenominational Christian church service at Historic Rocky Springs Chapel, 7817 Rocky Springs Road, Frederick, Maryland, on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. Preacher Bobby Rogers, founder of the Landmark Bible Society, will preach the sermon wearing Civil War period attire. A short living history program will follow the church service. HRSC is dedicated to using living history programs to accurately educate the public on Christian practices and the impact of faith on American society during the Civil War.
The event is free and open to the public. The wearing of Civil War period attire is encouraged but not required.
Questions about the event should be directed to HRSC Trustee Kirk Callison or HRSC Trustee Maria Callison at (301) 874-4737 (Home); (240) 409-8361 (cell); or kmcallison@verizon.net
