One Vast Hospital – Civil War Walking Tour in Downtown Frederick
2025-06-15 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-21 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-22 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-28 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-06-29 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-05 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-06 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-07-12 10:30 - 12:00 UTC and 4 more dates | 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.

Summer Lecture Series: “Directed to Take Command”: Winfield S. Hancock – Sarah Kay Bierle
2025-06-16 19:00 - 20:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
On June 16, Civil War historian and author, Sarah Kay Bierle will be discussing the subject of her up coming book during her talk – “Directed to Take Command”: Winfield S. Hancock & Antietam’s Sunken Road.
In the midst of the Federal attacks toward the Sunken Road on September 17, 1862, during the Battle of Antietam, the First Division of the Second Corps lost their commander, Major General Israel B. Richardson, at a critical point of their battle hopes and carnage. General McClellan personally directed Brigadier General Winfield S. Hancock to take command of the division. He rode into a tenuous battlefield situation and took charge of the largest command he had led up to that time. Hancock’s previous military experiences—both in peacetime and war—had been shaping his leadership style. As events unfolded at the heart of Antietam battlefield that day, Hancock met the challenges and dangers in ways that surprised the troops now under his command and yet obeyed the orders he had been given. This program will take a deeper look at Hancock’s life and leadership, the situation he inherited at Antietam, and his report of the actions and decisions in the aftermath of the capture of the Sunken Road.
Sarah Kay Bierle graduated from Thomas Edison State University with a BA in History and works in the Education Department at American Battlefield Trust. She has spent years exploring ways to share quality historical research in ways that will inform and inspire modern audiences, including school presentations, writing, battlefield tours, and speaking engagements. She has published five books, and her forthcoming books in 2025 are a biography of John Pelham published by Savas Beatie and a book about military decisions at Chancellorsville with the University of Tennessee Press. She is currently drafting a biography and leadership study about Winfield S. Hancock.
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.

2025 Masquerade Ball With A Cotton Club Twist
2025-06-19 20:00 - 21:00 | Cortland Mansion, 19411 Cortland Drive, Hagerstown, MD, 21742, United States
The Masquerade Ball With A Cotton Club Twist is a glamorous evening of celebration, community, and culture. This event kicks off the 2025 Juneteenth festivals in Hagerstown, MD and is a fundraiser for the Doleman Black Heritage Museum. Join the Friends of the Doleman Black Heritage Museum as they celebrate excellence, history, and heritage in high style. This elegant spring gala brings together art, heart, and legacy under one roof for a night filled with music, recognition, and community spirit.
This event is $100.00 per person. Please register at the link below.

Juneteenth Praise & Worship Celebration
2025-06-20 17:00 - 19:00 | Wheaton Park, 124 Charles Street, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
Celebrate Juneteenth during this uplifting evening of community prayer, music, inspirational readings, and interpretive dance. Those wishing to perform should contact Marcia McCall, 301-797-5019.

250th Anniversary Maryland Rifle Companies
2025-06-21 11:00 - 12:00 | City Hall Park, 101 North Court Street, Frederick, MD, 21701, United States
The Sgt. Lawrence Everhart Chapter, SAR, and the Frederick and Carrollton Manor Chapters, DAR, invite you to the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the organization of the Maryland Rifle Companies which took place in Fredericktown on 21 June 1775. This event is being organized in partnership with the Frederick County U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.
On 14 June 1775, at the same time that the Second Continental Congress named George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the new Continental Army, it directed that ten companies of riflemen be raised in the frontier regions of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Accordingly, the United States Army considers June 14, 1775 as its birthdate.
Maryland was assigned the responsibility of raising two rifle companies, and its delegates assigned this task to the Frederick County Committee of Observation. At a meeting at the County Courthouse in Fredericktown on 21 June, chaired by John Hanson, the Committee of Observation created the two companies and appointed their officers.
Recall that in 1775, Frederick County encompassed all of western Maryland, including present-day Montgomery County, part of Carroll County, and Washington, Allegheny, and Garrett Counties to the west. Organizations from those areas are invited to participate in this event.
The two Maryland Rifle Companies were commanded by Captain Michael Cresap (son of Thomas Cresap), and Captain Thomas Price.
After the creation of the Rifle Companies on June 21, the next few weeks were spent in furnishing the riflemen with rifles and other equipment. On July 18, the two Maryland companies, consisting of about 130 men, set off for Massachusetts on foot, marching 550 miles in 22 days! No Continental uniforms here: they wore hunting shirts, often with fringes, round hats, leather leggings, and many had their faces painted, Indian style. Along the way they often gave demonstrations of their superb marksmanship.
In August 1775, with the arrival of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania Rifle Companies in Massachusetts, the revolutionary Army became truly Continental. They joined in the siege of Boston under the command of General Washington. The siege ultimately led to the evacuation of the British forces from Boston, never to return.
Frederick Countians and all western Marylanders can justly take pride in our contribution to creating the Continental Army which, over the following eight years, won our independence and created a new, sovereign Nation.

Civil War Style Church Service
2025-06-22 13:00 - 14:00 | 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, June 22, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. Chaplain Steve McCarty 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

New Exhibit Opening - Doleman Black Heritage Museum
2025-06-22 17:00 | Doleman Black Heritage Museum, 33-35 West Washington Street, Room 210, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
Opening of new exhibit featuring rescued and restored stained glass windows from the Ebenezer AME Church in downtown Hagerstown. The windows represent the resilience of the Black community in the historic Jonathan Street Neighborhood.
This event is free to the public.

Summer Lecture Series: The Fifth Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment – Michael S. Lang
2025-06-23 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
Texas’s history often has deep roots in lore and tall tales. The author John Steinbeck once said of The Lone Star State, “Texas has its own private history, based on but not limited to the facts.” Sometimes, the truth about Texas and Texans feels torn from a tragic Greek legend. Such is the case of Hood’s Texas Brigade and the Fifth Texas Infantry, a regiment that left an indelible mark on history. These young men from Texas left their homes in 1861 and were everywhere. The odds are excellent if you can name a famous battle in the East; the “Bloody 5th,” as they were sometimes called, were there, charging headlong into a storm of enemy fire.
In this narrative, the presentation will follow this regiment from its formation near Houston in 1861 to the surrender at Appomattox four years later. Of course, no retelling would be complete without recounting its historic counterattack across a blood-strewn cornfield in western Maryland on September 17, 1862. Be sure to join the Antietam Institute on June 23 to hear author, Michael S. Lang present – From The Brazos To The Antietam & Beyond: The Story of the Fifth Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
Michael S. Lang has worked as a manager for Federal Express for 38 years and is also a successful photographer. Capturing images of Civil War battlefields is one of his favorite subjects.
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Michael moved to Frisco, Texas, in 2017. As relative newcomers to the great state of Texas, he and his wife, Rebecca, have spent the last seven years exploring the state and learning about its unique and rich history, including sites related to the Civil War. Michael has loved history since a young boy and has been a student of the Civil War for just as long.
Michael is the author of three books, Decisions at Antietam and Decisions of the Maryland Campaign, and Decisions of the Red River Campaign. These books are all part of the Command Decisions of America’s Civil War series published by the University of Tennessee Press.
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.

Battle of Westminster, aka “Corbit’s Charge”
2025-06-28 10:00 | Westminster City Hall, 1838 Emerald Hill Lane, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
Each June, the Pipe Creek Civil War Round Table commemorates the tragedy of war that took place on Westminster’s streets and within surrounding Carroll County, MD. This annual event creates an educational experience for visitors of all ages, with military demonstrations, Civil War arms and equipment, military drilling, children’s activities and games, and presentations from historians. Guided tours of Westminster detailing historic landmarks and battle sites are featured at the event as well.
The paramount activity is a memorial service held at the Corbit’s Charge Monument (Located at Court Place, by the Historic Courthouse). This service recognizes the sacrifice of the Civil War era civilians of Westminster as well as the soldiers of both the Union and Confederate Armies. This service concludes at the graveyard of Westminster’s Ascension Episcopal Church located at 23 N. Court St. with the laying of wreaths on the graves of 2 Civil War Veterans: 1st Lt. John Murray, Co. E 4th Virginia Cavalry (Confederate, killed during Corbit’s Charge) and Samuel Butler Co. C 32nd Inf. U.S.C.T. (Union).
So, please join the Pipe Creek Civil War Roundtable and fellow historical groups in attendance at the Corbit’s Charge event to honor and commemorate the Civil War history in Carroll County, MD.
This program is made possible by a grant from the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, a certified heritage area of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

Summer Lecture Series: The Last Four Months of a Fifth Corps Soldier – Darin Wipperman
2025-06-30 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
On June 30, author Darin Wipperman will discuss a unique individual he came across during his research in his presentation – “I Am Bullet Proof:” The Last Four Months of a Fifth Corps Soldier.
A tremendous resource for students of the Civil War, the Huntington Library, San Marino, California, houses an array of excellent manuscripts. One of the library’s many highly impressive collections includes more than 200 letters from Captain Joseph Collingwood, who joined the 18th Massachusetts Infantry in August 1861. Collingwood and soldiers in his Company H became original member of the Fifth Corps the following May. This presentation discusses the Bay State warrior in the last four months of his life, from the catastrophe at Second Bull Run to Collingwood’s sad destiny below the stone wall at Fredericksburg. His perspectives from ten September letters – before and after the battle of Antietam – offer especially interesting thoughts from a frazzled yet resolute American warrior.
Darin Wipperman’s first two books on the Civil War discussed the histories of the First and Ninth Corps. His most recent book, Thunderbolt to the Rebels: The United States Sharpshooters in the Civil War, was released in February 2025. Darin completed nearly 17 years of service in the federal government, then moved to northern New Hampshire, where he was a reporter and editor for weekly newspapers. Continuing his lifetime of studying the Civil War, Darin’s fourth book on the conflict is currently entitled, A Dangerous Man: Major General Joseph Hooker and the Civil War. Darin plans to complete his manuscript on “Fighting Joe” by the end of 2025.
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.

Summer Lecture Series: Before September: The Origin of the 1862 Maryland Campaign – Dr. Alex Rossino
2025-07-07 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
Confederate military and political leaders hatched multiple plans for an invasion of Maryland before Lee’s army crossed the Potomac in September 1862. In this talk, Dr. Rossino documents those plans and the impact they had on Lee’s decision to enter the state.
Dr. Alexander B. Rossino resides in Washington County, Maryland. An award-winning independent historian, Dr. Rossino earned his degree from Syracuse University and worked at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C from 1994 to 2003. He is the author of Their Maryland: The Army of Northern Virginia from the Potomac Crossing to Sharpsburg in September 1862 (Savas Beatie, 2021), Calamity at Frederick: Robert E. Lee, Special Orders No. 191, and Confederate Misfortune on the Road to Antietam (Savas Beatie, 2023) and has published several articles on the Maryland Campaign. He has co-authored The Tale Untwisted: General George B. McClellan, the Maryland Campaign, and the Discovery of Lee’s Lost Orders (Savas Beatie, 2022) with Gene Thorp. Alex has also written a two-part series of historically accurate Civil War novels published by Savas Beatie, Six Days in September: A Novel of Lee’s Army in Maryland, 1862 (2017) and The Guns of September: A Novel of McClellan’s Army in Maryland, 1862 (2024).
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.

Culture & Cocktails: History of the Herald Mail Building
2025-07-11 18:00 | Miller House Museum, 135 W Washington St, Hagerstown, MD, 21740, United States
On Friday, July 11, Thomas Vitanza and Catherine Lavoie present the history and architecture of the Herald Mail building at 100 Summit Avenue, Hagerstown, a significant building designed by a modernist architectural firm in the 1970s that became a cutting-edge newspaper printing plant for Washington County.
Thomas Vitanza is a recently retired Senior Historical Architect for the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center, and Catherine Lavoie is an architectural historian for the NPS HABS program and author (with Lisa Pfueller Davidson) of Buildings of Maryland, published by the Society of Architectural Historians.
This month’s drink is the Harvey Wallbanger, a cocktail combining vodka, orange juice, and Galliano, a popular drink during the 1970s, when the Herald Mail building was constructed. 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. Tickets are $20 members/$30 non-members. Please register at the link.
Please note: Weather depending, there is a possibility this event will be held outside in the Miller House Garden.

Summer Lecture Series: The Texas Brigade at Antietam – Dr. Brad Gottfried
2025-07-14 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
The storied Texas Brigade had already gained fame as a result of its actions at Elthan’s Landing, Gaines’ Mill, and Second Manassas, but it became legendary as a result of its fight at Antietam. This presentation covers the brigade’s actions before, during, and after the battle, using first hand accounts and maps to describe its actions in the blood-soaked Cornfield. Join the Antietam Institute on July 14 for “The Texas Brigade at Antietam” presented by Dr. Brad Gottfried.
Dr. Brad Gottfried received his Ph.D. in Zoology and worked at seven colleges over a span of 40 years. He retired in 2017 as the President of the College of Southern Maryland. Brad became an Antietam Certified Battlefield Guide in 2019. He is the author of over 20 books, including his most recent, The Maps of Second Bull Run.
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.

Summer Lecture Series: “Little-Known Antietam: Henry Winters and Murder at the Lodge” – Tom McMillan
2025-07-21 19:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 209 W Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD, 21782, United States
On July 21, author Tom McMillan will present – “Little-Know Antietam: Henry Winters and ‘Mystery and Murder at the Lodge.‘” Tom will take a look at two of the intriguing but lesser-known stories at Antietam. Henry Winters of the 89th New York Infantry carved his name on a windowsill at the Dunker Church — a piece of Civil War graffiti that still is visible to visitors today. But who was Henry? Why did he leave his mark? When did he come back? The second story involves two Antietam-related murder mysteries, one of which took place at the National Cemetery lodge, the other targeting a battlefield superintendent.
Tom McMillan has spent a lifetime in sports media and communications – including 25 years as VP of Communications of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL – but his heartfelt passion is history. The author of four books on American history, he has served on the board of trustees of Pittsburgh’s Heinz History Center, the board of directors of the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, the marketing committee of the Gettysburg Foundation, and as a docent at the Thomas Espy GAR Post in Carnegie, PA.. Tom and his wife, Colleen, are also volunteer ambassadors at Antietam. A former newspaper sports writer and radio talk-show host who has covered the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup Finals and the NCAA Final Four, he earned a journalism degree from Point Park University in Pittsburgh.
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.

Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area: US 250th Convening
2025-07-23 13:30 - 15:30 | Carroll County Public Library – Mt. Airy Branch, 705 Ridge Ave, Mt Airy, Maryland, 21771
The Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (HCWHA) will be hosting another U.S. 250th Convening on Wednesday, July 23 from 1:30 – 3:30 pm at the Mt. Airy Branch, Carroll County Public Library (705 Ridge Ave, Mt Airy, MD 21771). The location is conveniently off of I-70 with plenty of free parking!
Join us for planning discussions and updates from Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties. Please come ready to share a brief update of plans for your organization or community. Learn more about the featured presentation below:
History Meets Hospitality: Building Strategic Alliances with DMOs
Heritage tourism strategist Heidi Schlag will share how history museums can partner more effectively with Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) to boost visibility, attract new audiences, and become part of the visitor economy. Learn how to speak the language of tourism and tap into the promotional power of your local and regional travel networks.
Please register at the link: https://events.humanitix.com/hcwha-250th-convening-dlk6bpby

Maryland 250 Cookbook Author – Cooking Maryland’s Way: Voices of a Diverse Cuisine
2025-07-24 17:00 | Exploration Commons, Westminster Branch of Carroll County Public Library, 50 East Main Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
Join food historian, author, and historical faux food artist Joyce White in the Teaching Kitchen for an informative evening reflecting on the chief cultural influences of Maryland’s early foundational cuisine. Joyce will share her research on both foods and their methods of preparation as she demos traditional recipes for Hominy Patties and Beaten Biscuits.
NOTE: Seating is limited to 36 participants.
Ticket $40, includes author talk, signed copy of Cooking Maryland’s Way: Voices of a Diverse Cuisine, and recipe demonstration. Please register at the link.

History Fest 2025
2025-07-26 11:00 | Historical Society of Carroll County, 210 E. Main Street, Westminster, MD, 21157, United States
The Historical Society of Carroll County is excited to bring back History Fest again this year. Join them on Saturday, July 26th at the Society where they will have many exhibitors and fun activities. You will be able to dunk King George, they will have Pat Martin’s delicious food, kids’ games, and The Cow will once again be providing ice cream. HSCC will also have representatives from many of the historical societies and sites in Carroll County, an antique fire engine from the Westminster Fire Department, as well as a cake walk. If you would like to donate a cake, please let us know.
This is a FREE event. However, the food, drinks, and dunking of King George will have a small fee. For more information or if you would like to be represented at the event, please contact Laura Bankard, Outreach & Events Director at lbankard@hsccmd.org or 410.848.6494 ext. 200.

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.

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.
