Every year is punctuated by months and moments that prompt us to reflect on African American history. That includes January (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), February (Black History Month) and September (Underground Railroad Month). Of course, the African American experience is American history, and we encounter it every day as we work, live and play in the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area. October is another good time to discover local African American History in Carroll, Frederick and Washington counties.
October outings, suitable for all ages, might include:
The AARCH Society African American Heritage Center. The inaugural opening of this downtown Frederick museum occurs on October 17, 2026. While October will always be a special time to visit, exhibits, walking tours, and special programs will be available year round.
Kennedy Farm, a national historic landmark in Washington County. John Brown and followers hid here, prior to the October 16 raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in 1859. Two Civil War Trails markers offer background information. Sometimes commemorative hikes and events are featured, like this year’s commemoration of John Brown’s March on October 16, which will include the five-mile walk from the Kennedy Farm to Harpers Ferry, presentations, music, and an authentic period meal.
Cemetery tourism is trending, with October and All Hallow’s Eve as great timing for graveyard visits. Westminster Cemetery, on Church Street, traces its beginnings to 1790. Several themed digital tours may be accessed via smart phones, including Whispers of Freedom, a reflective journey to burial sites of men and women who overcame enslavement to become free members of the community. Also in Westminster, Ellsworth Cemetery on Leidy Road was established by Civil War veterans and is the final resting place for many prominent Black residents of Carroll County.
In Frederick County, the village of Catoctin Furnace, just south of Thurmont, is the location of the African American Cemetery Interpretive Trail. A short invigorating hike from the extant furnace stack (part of Cunningham Falls State Park) leads to where enslaved laborers who forged the nation were buried, and to the Museum of the Ironworker. There, facial reconstructions based on skeletal remains of two of the enslaved are compelling reminders of a past reality. The cemetery trail is open daily, and each October it may be experienced during annual “Spirits of the Furnace” living history tours.
Tolson’s Chapel and School is yet another National Historic Landmark in Washington County. Located near Antietam National Battlefield, it is a log-and-frame church built by an African American congregation in 1866, and consecrated in October 1867. The church served as a school during Reconstruction. Open on first Saturdays, the anniversary month is a lovely time to experience Tolson’s Chapel (lucky visitors may arrive when apple cider doughnuts are warm at Burkholder’s Bakery across the street).
October is glorious here – fall colors dapple hallowed ground along woodland trails, banks of scenic streams and riverbeds, and the edges of battlefields and farmer’s fields (sometimes the same thing). The addition of pick-your-own pumpkin patches, apple orchards, or corn maze challenges to a family excursion is a recipe for learning unlike any classroom can provide.
Visit our local tourism websites to begin planning your October adventure in the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area.
