Heart of the Civil War

Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table's Tour of the Battle of Hagerstown
2025-08-24 15:00 UTC | Downtown Hagerstown, MD, 21740
Please join the Harpers Ferry Civil War Round Table in Hagerstown, Maryland for a guided tour of the Battle of Hagerstown, at 3:00 PM on Sunday, August 24. Much like Gettysburg, where all roads converged and dictated where the armies would meet, the roads crossing the area of Lee’s retreat out of Pennsylvania led to the Hub City—Hagerstown. Gaining and holding Hagerstown was the key to protecting or attacking Lee’s defensive line between Williamsport and Sharpsburg in the days after Pickett’s Charge. Small battles and large skirmishes occurred daily during Lee’s retreat, and one of the most consequential was the Battle of Hagerstown on July 6. This became one of the largest cavalry battles of the war and was fought mostly in a city environment.
Our guide on the tour is Stephen Bockmiller, a lifelong military history enthusiast. Steve has written extensively, including two books, about the USS Constellation and about regional Civil War history. His current writing projects include the Battle of Hagerstown and Civil War-era stories from the Middletown Valley. Steve serves on Baltimore’s Advisory Board of Historic Ships and represents Hagerstown on the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area Advisory Board. He lives near Waynesboro, PA with his wife Stefania, and he serves as Deputy Director in Hagerstown’s Planning and Economic Development Department.
This tour is free and open to the public, but you must reserve your space by contacting Chris Craig at ccraig@laurellodge.com or 304-433-1260. We will carry on in light rain (bring an umbrella), but you will receive email notification if there is a weather cancellation. Much of the Battle of Hagerstown took place in the city’s downtown. Our tour will begin with the first stage of the battle in downtown, where we will walk about nine city blocks. This will be followed by a driving tour with stops along Virginia Avenue between Hagerstown and Williamsport. (Carpooling is encouraged.) Meet at the intersection of Baltimore and South Potomac Streets, Hagerstown, MD. This is half a block east of Meritus Park. The best parking option is in the University District Parking Deck on North Potomac Street, just north of Public Square. The entire tour will take about 2.5 hours.
Photo: Jarvis Wentworth, 1st Vermont Cavalry, mortally wounded July 6, 1863 at Hagerstown, MD.

Music on the Millrace: Hayden Shaw and This Side of Pleasant
2025-08-24 15:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Join the Union Mills Homestead for “Music on the Millrace” again this year! This new Sunday concert series at the Union Mills Homestead will be held for the second year at the historic site north of Westminster, MD. The concerts offer a relaxed, inviting opportunity for our members and friends to come out to enjoy the authentic beauty of the site, separate from other major events.
This is a great time to enjoy an afternoon on the beautiful grounds of the Union Mills Homestead. Admission to the event is only $10. Under 12 are free! Food, beer and wine will be available to purchase. Please bring a chair or blanket to sit on. No outside alcohol may be brought into the event. Because we have to inspect any containers to ensure there is no alcohol, please refrain from bringing backpacks or coolers, although you are welcome to bring your own snacks.
Hayden Shaw and This Side of Pleasant –
Hailing from right down the road, Hayden Shaw and his band This Side of Pleasant (as in Pleasant Valley) is thrilled to be back for another great day of Bluegrass! Hayden Shaw & This Side of Pleasant is a high-energy Bluegrass group comprised of some of Hayden’s best friends in Bluegrass. Last March they broke the attendance record for a Wehrly’s Auction House “Pickin’ and Biddin’” show. Hayden pulls from a wide array of influences and music genres to bring a fun and exciting bluegrass show that you won’t want to miss!

One Vast Hospital – Civil War Walking Tour in Downtown Frederick
2025-08-24 14:00, 2025-08-23 10:30, 2025-08-17 14:00, 2025-08-16 10:30, 2025-08-10 14:00, 2025-08-09 10:30, 2025-08-03 14:00, 2025-08-02 10:30 and 1 more date | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Saturdays and Sundays from April through September
Walk in the footsteps of doctors, nurses, soldiers and civilians who cared for 8,000 wounded soldiers in Downtown Frederick.
Join NMCWM docents for a walking tour of Downtown Frederick focused on the city’s role as a makeshift hospital in the final months of 1862 every Saturday (10:30 a.m.) and Sunday (2:00 p.m.) from April through September.
Tickets are $15 and include admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in addition to the walking tour. Tickets are free for Museum members, but you must still reserve your spot. Reservations will be accepted on a first come first served basis.
In September 1862, a newspaper correspondent from the Philadelphia Inquirer referred to Frederick as “one vast hospital.” In the aftermath of America’s bloodiest day at Antietam on September 17, 1862, over 8,000 wounded soldiers, Union and Confederate, were brought to make-shift hospital wards in Frederick’s churches, schools, hotels, and private homes. From the diaries and letters of the surgeons, soldiers, and civilians who were there, this guided walking tour will explore the locations of the city’s Civil War hospitals in churches, schools, and public buildings. Many of those same buildings still make up the historic district today.

Civil War Style Church Service
2025-08-24 13:00 | 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, August 24, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. HRSC Trustee and Preacher Kirk Callison 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

Foundations of Frederick Walking Tour
2025-08-23 10:30 | Heritage Frederick, 24 E Church ST, Frederick, Maryland, 21701
Experience the history and beauty of downtown as knowledgeable guides share the fascinating stories that make up historic Frederick, Maryland.

Box Lunch Talk: The History of Lacrosse in Carroll County Public Schools presented by Brian Booz
2025-08-19 12:00 | Grace Lutheran Church, 21 Carroll Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
Brian Booz started as a history/social studies teacher and coach in Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) in the ’70s. He coached football and basketball and then started the lacrosse program. One of his students became an All-American lacrosse player for McDaniel. Brian went on to be the principal at Francis Scott Key, South Carroll, and Century High Schools, before retiring from CCPS in 2002 and joining the faculty of Gettysburg College. He is an excellent raconteur who will share the history of bringing lacrosse into the county.
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.

Summer Lecture Series: "Meade at War: General George Meade, ...1861-1865" - Dr. Jen Murray
2025-08-18 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
Once prominently defined as the “Hero of Gettysburg,” General George G. Meade is often obscured by generals deeply embedded into the Civil War narrative–Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan or Lee and Jackson. This program will explore Meade’s role in the Civil War, starting with his appointment as a brigade commander in the Pennsylvania Reserves to his rise as commander of the Army of the Potomac, the North’s principal instrument of war. Dr. Jen Murray will discuss Meade’s leadership during the Gettysburg Campaign, how Grant’s arrival to the Eastern Theater in March 1864 impacted Meade’s place in the army’s hierarchy, and some of the challenges that Meade faced as commander of the Army of the Potomac. Be sure to join the Antietam Institute on August 18, as Dr. Jen Murray presents – Meade at War: General George Meade and the Army of the Potomac, 1861-1865
Dr. Jennifer M. Murray is an Assistant Professor of History at Shepherd University and the Director of the George Tyler Moore Center for the Study of the Civil War. Her most recent publication is On A Great Battlefield: The Making, Management, and Memory of Gettysburg National Military Park, 1933-2023, published by the University of Tennessee Press in 2014 and printed as a second edition in 2023. Murray is currently working on a full-length biography of General George Meade, tentatively titled Meade at War. She is the co-editor of the forthcoming, “They Are Dead, And Yet They Live”: Civil War Memories in a Polarized America to be published by the University of Nebraska Press in February 2026. Prior to joining the faculty at Shepherd, Murray taught at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. A native of Maryland, Murray worked as a seasonal interpretive park ranger at Gettysburg National Military Park for nine summers.
Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during the Antietam Institute’s Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2025 schedule.
These indoors programs are held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures free and open to the public. Each week the Antietam Institute holds a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.

World Photography Day Cyanotype Event
2025-08-18 15:00 | The Delaplaine Arts Center, 40 S Carroll St, Frederick, MD, 21701, United States
Celebrate World Photography Day by creating an original work of art using the sun! Cyanotype is a historic photographic process that uses a light-sensitive paper to capture images without a camera (or a darkroom!) Cyanotype photography, known for its distinctive blue images, was used during the Civil War era. It is a fun technique for all ages. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
This event is free to the public.

Artillery Day at the Visitor Center
2025-08-16 10:00 | Monocacy National Battlefield Visitor Center, 5201 Urbana Pike, Frederick, MD, 21704, United States
Once again, the “King of Battle,” the artillery, will shake the ground of Monocacy National Battlefield. Demonstrations with different types of cannons will occur throughout the day. Just how loud were those big guns during the Civil War? Come find out and learn about the many uses of artillery during the Civil War!

Summer Lecture Series: "Little Mac at the Front" – Steve Stotelmyer
2025-08-11 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
On August 11, battlefield guide and author, Steve Stotelmyer will discuss some of his latest research in his presentation – Little Mac at the Front. The accepted historical consensus of the Battle of Antietam portrays a sedentary McClellan at Antietam. The notion persists that, unlike his counterpart, Gen. Robert E. Lee, who visited several locations at the front during the battle, the allegedly timid and cowardly McClellan remained at his headquarters at the Pry House. Some authors would have their readers believe that Little Mac never led or observed from the front or was even on the battlefield when his army went into a major action. Using primary eyewitness accounts, Steve’s talk demonstrates conclusively that the accepted consensus does not reflect the historical record.
Steven R. Stotelmyer is a native of Hagerstown, Maryland. He first visited Antietam National Battlefield as a child and has been fascinated with it ever since. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State College and a Master of Arts from Hood College in Frederick, MD. Before retirement, he was employed as a teacher, surveyor, and civil engineer. In 1989 Stotelmyer was a founding member of the Central Maryland Heritage League, a non-profit land trust which helped preserve some of the South Mountain Battlefield. During his tenure with CMHL he discovered significant information regarding the Battle of South Mountain and the Legend of Wise’s Well. This led to the publication of The Bivouacs of the Dead: The Story of Those Who Died at Antietam and South Mountain (Toomey Press, 1992). In 2019 Stotelmyer authored Too Useful To Sacrifice, Reconsidering George B. McClellan’s Generalship in the Maryland Campaign from South Mountain to Antietam (Savas Beatie, 2019). Recently Steve wrote From Frederick To Sharpsburg; People, Places, and Events of the Maryland Campaign before Antietam (Antietam Institute, 2023). Currently, Steve is a National Park Service Volunteer as well as a NPS Certified Antietam and South Mountain Battlefield Tour Guide.
Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during the Antietam Institute’s Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2025 schedule.
These indoors programs are held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures free and open to the public. Each week the Antietam Institute holds a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.

Frederick in the Civil War: A Bus Tour of the Historic City
2025-08-10 14:00 | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Step back in time aboard a vintage 1966 double-decker bus for a fascinating one-hour journey through Downtown Frederick, exploring the city’s critical role in the Civil War and the evolution of battlefield medicine.
Departing from the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, this guided tour is led by a professional docent who will share gripping stories of local hospitals, heroic caregivers, and the medical innovations that emerged from wartime necessity. As you roll through historic streets and landmarks, you’ll gain insight into the challenges faced by doctors, nurses, and soldiers alike during one of the most pivotal periods in American history.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:
– Explore Frederick’s Civil War history through a medical lens aboard a restored 1966 double-decker bus
– Hear expert narration from a professional museum docent
– Visit key sites where wounded soldiers were treated
– A unique educational experience in the heart of historic Frederick
– Every ticket includes admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine
DEPARTS FROM: The National Museum of Civil War Medicine
TICKET PRICE: $39 per person (includes admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine)
HOW TO BOOK: Spots are limited — join us for an unforgettable ride through the past — where history meets healing.

Culture & Cocktails: Halfway African American Cemetery
2025-08-08 18:00 | Miller House Museum, 135 W Washington St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
Join the WCHS on Friday, August 8, 2025, as Dr. Emilie Amt and Elizabeth Paul present “Halfway African American Cemetery.”
Halfway MD African American Cemetery, founded in 1897, is the final resting place of nearly 400 African Americans from Washington County, including 13 veterans. Dr. Emilie Amt and Elizabeth Paul, from the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Friends of Halfway African American Cemetery, will provide exciting updates on the improvements, restoration efforts, and genealogical findings at Halfway African American Cemetery.
This month’s cocktail is the Mint Julep, a refreshing Civil War-era cocktail including bourbon, sugar, crushed ice, and fresh mint. 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.
Cover photo courtesy of the Friends of Halfway African American Cemetery.

Carroll 250 Speaker Series: Samuel Dewees and America’s Two Wars of Independence presented by James Engler, Sr.
2025-08-06 18:30 | Carroll County Public Library – North Carroll Branch, 2255 Hanover Pike, Hampstead, MD, 21074, United States
Few citizens of the early days of our republic recorded their experiences outside of pension applications; Samuel Dewees, a long-time resident of Carroll County, was an exception. During his lifetime, he published his autobiography of the events he witnessed, as a young drummer of the American Revolution, through running off to defend Baltimore as an older man in the War of 1812. In this presentation, we’ll explore some of the chief events of his lifetime that he claimed to have witnessed.
Presenter James F. Engler, Sr. is a long-time resident of Carroll County, a transplanted Washingtonian. He is a member of the Westminster Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, who joined in 2001 through his patriot ancestor, Joseph Ogle, who was raised in nearby Frederick County and served as a captain of Virginia State Militia in Ohio County, around modern-day West Virginia. He has served in a variety of roles in the SAR, including as president of both the Westminster Chapter and Maryland SAR, as well as Vice President General of SAR for the Mid-Atlantic District (Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware). Jim was instrumental in the planning and execution of the chapter’s patriot grave marking for Samuel Dewees, including doing the research on the patriot.
This program is part of the Carroll 250 Speaker Series celebrating the United States Semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the 1776 United States Declaration of Independence.
NOTE: Seating is limited for this event and registration is required. Please click the link to visit the Carroll County Public Library programming page: https://ccpl.librarymarket.com/event/samuel-dewees
Questions? Please contact Laura Bankard, Outreach & Events Director, at lbankard@hsccmd.org or 410.848.6494 ext. 200.

A Century of Memories with Melvin Hurwitz & Steve Bowersox
2025-08-05 13:00 | Grace Lutheran Church, 21 Carroll Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
The HSCC is so excited to be able to finally feature Mr. Melvin Hurwitz being interviewed by Steve Bowersox in a discussion for everyone! This will be a FREE event. They will have light refreshments which will include desserts and beverages (coffee, Coke, Diet Coke, Ginger Ale, and water). Please arrive early. The event will start promptly at 1 pm.
Mr. Hurwitz grew up in Westminster, MD to a family of local jewelry store owners. Melvin graduated from Westminster High School in 1942 and, like his other three brothers, joined the service during World War II. Mr. Hurwitz was a waist gunner and radio man on a B-17 that flew bombing missions over Europe.
More recently Melvin has become a bit of an international celebrity because he attended the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
He will celebrate his 100th birthday in March 2025. He will share stories of his life in Westminster and beyond.
Questions? Please contact Laura Bankard, Outreach & Events Director at lbankard@hsccmd.org or 410.848.6494 ext. 200.

Summer Lecture Series: The Fate of Antietam’s Wounded – Tracey McIntire
2025-08-04 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
Join the Antietam Institute on August 4 for Tracey McIntire’s presentation – The Fate of Antietam’s Wounded. Hear the little-known stories of some of the almost 8,000 soldiers wounded at Antietam who were sent to Frederick for treatment.
Tracey McIntire earned her BA in English at Rivier College in Nashua, NH. She is Lead Educator at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, site manager of the Pry House Field Hospital Museum, and an interpretive volunteer at Antietam National Battlefield. She is also an active Civil War living historian, where she portrays a woman soldier in various guises.
Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during the Antietam Institute’s Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2025 schedule.
These indoors programs are held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures free and open to the public. Each week the Antietam Institute holds a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.

The First Cut: A Railroad Accident, an Amputation, and a Firestorm in Congress
2025-08-02 15:00 | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Saturday Speaker Series! Popular history tells us that young Confederate James Hanger endured the first amputation of the Civil War in June 1861. But Historian Jon-Erik Gilot will explain that history discounts the tragic story of William Parker, a conductor on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad who lost both legs several days prior to Hanger, and who struggled for decades for recognition and compensation.
Jon-Erik Gilot is the Curator at the Captain Thomas Espy Grand Army of the Republic Post, Carnegie, Pa., and a contributing historian at Emerging Civil War. He works as a corporate archivist in Wheeling, West Virginia.
This presentation is free with museum admission.

Corn Roast Festival
2025-08-02 11:00 | The Union Mills Homestead, 3311 Littlestown Pike, Westminster, MD, 21158, United States
Each meal ticket includes a serving of fried chicken, applesauce, sliced tomatoes, roll and butter, iced tea or lemonade and all the roasted corn that you can eat! Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 children (12 & Under).
Corn is roasted in the husk served at your table.

Coffee with the Curator
2025-08-02 10:00 | Thurmont Historical Society, 11 N. Church Street, Thurmont, Maryland, 21788
Join the Thurmont Historical Society’s Curator, Dominic Curcio, for this special program open to both the membership and the general public. This program will highlight some of the artifacts not displayed in the Thurmont Historical Society’s latest exhibit: “From Thurmont to the Frontlines: A Community’s Call to Duty.”
Free coffee and donuts will be offered!
This event will be open to the membership for FREE from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM.
This event will be open to the General Public by donation. Click here to donate any amount to the Thurmont: https://thurmont-historical-society.square.site/
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Details:
– Location: 11 N. Church Street, Thurmont, MD, 21788
– Parking: Free on site. Extra parking next door.
– Time:
10am-12pm: Free to the membership
12-2pm: Open to the public by donation.

Summer Lecture Series: Organization of the Federal Artillery in the Civil War – Jim Rosebrock
2025-07-28 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
The Antietam Institute will wrap up the month’s talks on July 28 with battlefield guide and author, Jim Rosebrock presenting – Organization of the Federal Artillery in the Civil War. This talk will examine the role and evolution of the Federal light artillery organization, focusing on the Army of the Potomac. Led by innovators such as William Barry and Henry Hunt, this Army was where the artillery organizations and doctrine evolved, which would ultimately be used in some variations in every other Federal army in the war.
Jim will start with a look at the US. Army’s experience with light artillery leading up to the start of the Civil War, examine the four components of the artillery – men and organization, guns, ammunition and artillery horses, and explore the evolution of the artillery arm by looking at the two major schools of artillery organization: Dispersal and Concentration.
James Rosebrock is a retired Army officer and Department of Justice employee, with 45 years of leadership experience in the logistics, security and emergency management fields. Jim graduated from Niagara University in 1976 with a degree in Russian History. Jim served with the 82nd Airborne Division during Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces where he was awarded a master’s degree in National Resource Strategy. Jim was an instructor for Combined Arms and Services Staff School when he retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is a National Park Service certified battlefield guide at Antietam National Battlefield and served as Chief Guide from 2011 – 2018. He has two Civil War related blogs and is the author of the Artillery of Antietam.
Come join leading historians and scholars as they discuss intriguing topics about their latest works and research on the Maryland Campaign and the Civil War during the Antietam Institute’s Civil War Summer Lecture Series. See the complete 2025 schedule.
These indoors programs are held in McKinley Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Monday evenings at 7:00 p.m. The church is located at 209W Main Street with a small parking area off the alley. More parking is available on Main and Hall Streets. These lectures free and open to the public. Each week the Antietam Institute holds a drawing in which the proceeds support the Save Historic Antietam Foundation. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates and changes to the schedule.

Civil War Style Church Service
2025-07-27 13:00 | 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, July 27, 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

Reimagining War’s Reality: A Consideration of Photographs of Antietam’s Dead
2025-07-26 15:00 | National Museum of Civil War Medicine, 48 E. Patrick St., Frederick, 21701, United States
Saturday Speaker Series: Dr. James Broomall
Historian and Professor Jim Broomall will take a new look at the famous images of dead soldiers on the Antietam battlefield. The standard tale is that Americans were shocked by these photographs and their stark depiction of war. But Dr. Broomall will look at other types of contemporary depictions such as lithographs, to reconsider this assessment.
Did the photographs of the Antietam dead truly “bring home” the “reality and earnestness of war”? The now-famous “New York Times” review, “Pictures of the Dead at Antietam,” is oft quoted and has become a lasting symbol of how Civil War-era Americans reacted to images of wartime dead. Professor Broomall will call this orthodoxy into question and challenge the audience to more fully consider the Antietam photographs’ varied meanings through a broader discussion of lithographs, postmortem images, and contemporary source materials. By so doing, we will together reimagine the reality of war.
The presentation is included with admission to the National Museum of Civil War Medicine.

Rural History Day - Early Church Seating and Worship Customs in the United Brethren Church
2025-07-26 12:00 | Washington County Rural Heritage Museum, 7313 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro, MD, 21713, United States
Are you curious about a little known church tradition, rooted deep in Maryland among some branches of Christianity (and others) but rarely practiced in its most conservative format? Find out by joining us on Saturday July 26th!
The Mount Tabor United Brethren Church was built in 1853 north of Huyetts Crossroads in Washington County, Maryland. It is representative of many country churches that dot the Washington County, Maryland landscape. Prior to it being donated to the Friends of the Washington County Rural Heritage Museum and moved to their Village at the Washington County Ag Education Center, it was listed on the Maryland Historic Sites Inventory.
Volunteers have worked over this past year to build a low dividing wall in the church. As was common for the Brethren and the Mennonites, women and men entered this church through separate front doors. In this building, they were also seated separately for worship, with a low wall dividing the interior into men’s and women’s spaces.
You are invited to attend this special Rural History Day celebration and learn more about what it took to save this piece of county church history.
12:00pm – 12:45pm Special Worship Service in the Mount Tabor Church located in the Rural Heritage Village, pastor Steve Wagoner(retired) will lead the service.
1:00pm – 1:30pm Photo journey and history of the church to be presented by the David Resh family who were instrumental in saving the church and relocating it to its permanent home at the Rural Heritage Village.
