Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life
August 29, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff
Memorial service McDaniel College Westminster MD to celebrate Dr Ira Zepp’s life Aug 29 2009 http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/memorial-service-to-celebrate-dr-ira.html http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y
For more articles on Dr Zepp click here: http://tinyurl.com/n3u32e
_______
August 29, 2009 by Kevin Dayhoff
Memorial service McDaniel College Westminster MD to celebrate Dr Ira Zepp’s life Aug 29 2009 http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/memorial-service-to-celebrate-dr-ira.html http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y
For more articles on Dr Zepp click here: http://tinyurl.com/n3u32e
_______
The death of Dr. Ira G. Zepp has reminded me of one of my columns that was published in Explore Carroll on July 25, 2008. The column was titled, “Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life,” http://www.explorecarroll.com/community/359/westminsters-sacred-places-are-shrines-community-life/, and it was about a 1981 book by Dr. Ira Zepp and Marty Lanham, "Sacred Spaces of Westminster."
That column, published in July, 2008, was edited a great deal in order for it meet my word limit requirements for the paper. What follows is the long unedited version:
“Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life” an unedited version of the column originally printed in my
“EAGLE ARCHIVE”column 7/25/08
Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places.
Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are most often considered sacred places.
I'm thinking of the sacred public places as described in a 1981 book by Dr. Ira Zepp and Marty Lanham, "Sacred Spaces of Westminster."
I thought of the book as I sat in the council meeting and looked around the room and imagined all the history that room and the building we now know as Westminster City Hall -- a building that many consider one of the true sacred places in Carroll County - -has seen since it was built in 1842 by Colonel John K. Longwell.
Westminster Common Council President Roy Chiavacci always begins each council meeting by reminding us some of the history of Westminster City Hall.
Westminster purchased it from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September of 1939 for $11,000. After extensive renovations and improvements, without impairing the original features of the structure, the City offices were moved there from the old Westminster Fire Department building at 63 West Main Street, during the administration of Mayor Frank A. Myers.
I wonder what it was like to have lived there right after it was built by Colonel John K. Longwell in 1842. Or what it would have been like to have been there in August 1863? That was when, as Frederic Shriver Klein writes in “Just South of Gettysburg” that over forty prominent Westminster citizens were arrested by Union soldiers on the charge of “general disloyalty.”
Those arrested included Dr. Mathias, Dr. Trumbo, Dr. J. W. Hering, Colonel and Mrs. Longwell - and their wives.
According to “Recollections” by Dr. Hering, at Mrs. Longwell’s “trial” on August 27th, 1863, in Westminster, she was told that “among other things, you are charged with feeding the rebel soldiers…”
“Well,” she replied, “I did, I would feed a hungry dog who came to my house. I would even feed you, if you came to my house hungry.” At that, it is reported that Mrs. Longwell’s husband, Colonel Longwell, “nearly collapsed.” Reportedly, Mrs. Longwell subsequently took the oath of allegiance. Others, however, did not and were imprisoned at Ft. McHenry.
However, getting back to a discussion of “Sacred Places in Westminster” …
Although it can be argued that Westminster is no longer a sleepy southern town; when I attend council meetings and witness all the “Peyton Place” – “Harper Valley PTA” operatic dramas take place I often think of the existential "Southern Gothic" genre of storytelling – and all the accompanying “Sacred Places in Westminster” not to be confused with the “sacred cows of Westminster;” however that is the stuff of another future essay, or not…
The month of July is recreation and parks month. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Tom Ferguson read a proclamation recognizing July as Recreation and Parks Month, and paid tribute to the city's recreation and parks director Ron Schroers, as well as other employees who work tirelessly for our benefit.
The mayor’s proclamation recognized the importance of recreation in our community; and paid tribute to the large number of volunteers in the community that make it happen.
Family and recreation has always been important in Carroll County and as a result we celebrate recreation and parks month twelve months out of the year.
Nevertheless, we are particular fortunate to have many talented, community oriented citizens who devote a great deal of time to the various recreation councils and committees throughout the county; and it is only fitting that we collectively take a moment to recognize their efforts.
Not to be overlooked is the fact that we are equally privileged to have a county and eight municipal governments which also recognize the importance of family and recreational opportunities.
Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham are examples of the enormous talent that we often take for granted in Carroll County.
Dr. Zepp is now retired, but when the book was written, Dr. Zepp was a professor of religious studies at McDaniel College and taught several courses which reflected the “comparative, phenomenological and historical methods used in (the) book.”
Ms. Lanham, in 1981, was the public relations coordinator and photographer for Westminster. Among her many journalism credentials, she had been the editor of the “Diamondback,” at the University of Maryland for two years, where she got her degree in journalism.
It is in this context that took me back to the sacred public places as was described so well in a 1981 book by Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham - “Sacred Spaces of Westminster.”
One of the many recreational facilities that Mr. Schroers oversees is the very popular Westminster playground in the heart of the city. One the very first pictures in the book is a picture, taken by Ms. Lanham, of the Westminster Playground.
Moreover, towards the end of the book, the authors discuss one of the overlooked sacred landmarks in Westminster: the Memorial Gateway to the Westminster playground off of Center Street.
Zepp and Lanham explain that the "gateway was given to the city by H. Peyton Gorsuch in 1937. Its primary purpose was to acknowledge the community's debt to Carroll Countians who had served in the nation's wars."
Next chance you get, stop, and read the memorial plaque affixed to the Memorial Gateway.
The book goes on to portray and discuss public places such as Belle Grove Square and various other parks, gardens, memorials and monuments.
Included are discussions about the Mather Gardens behind City Hall, dedicated on Oct. 13, 1963; the War Memorial at the forks of Pennsylvania Avenue and West Main Streets; Ward Memorial Arch at McDaniel College; and the Westminster Community Pond, dedicated by Governor Theodore R. McKeldin on September 10, 1954…
I am reminded of a great tradition in Westminster, which has long since gone by the wayside, of erecting huge archways in town at special occasions.
Fortunately pictures still exist of huge archways over Liberty Street, Main Street in the vicinity of the old fire hall or at the forks of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue – back in the days when it was still part of Westminster’s business…
When the book came out, I had been practicing landscape designer and a keen observer of Westminster’s historic places for many years, and yet, Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham’s work caused me to look at Westminster’s history and public design in a much different light.
In a classic example of not seeing the forest for the trees, I began to look at our many squares, circles, fountains, monuments in a very different perspective.
As an aside, who can recall that when the park area, in the center of Westminster, at Locust Lane was first developed, it had a fountain in the center of the plaza.
When the book came out I had been a practicing landscape designer and a keen observer of Westminster's historic places for years, and yet, Zepp and Lanham caused me to look at Westminster's history and design in a much different light.
To the best of my knowledge, the book has been out of print for many years. Perhaps with the permission of the authors, an initiative could be undertaken to reprint this valuable resource and have it available at the Historical Society of Carroll County.
That column, published in July, 2008, was edited a great deal in order for it meet my word limit requirements for the paper. What follows is the long unedited version:
“Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life” an unedited version of the column originally printed in my
“EAGLE ARCHIVE”column 7/25/08
Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places.
Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are most often considered sacred places.
I'm thinking of the sacred public places as described in a 1981 book by Dr. Ira Zepp and Marty Lanham, "Sacred Spaces of Westminster."
I thought of the book as I sat in the council meeting and looked around the room and imagined all the history that room and the building we now know as Westminster City Hall -- a building that many consider one of the true sacred places in Carroll County - -has seen since it was built in 1842 by Colonel John K. Longwell.
Westminster Common Council President Roy Chiavacci always begins each council meeting by reminding us some of the history of Westminster City Hall.
Westminster purchased it from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September of 1939 for $11,000. After extensive renovations and improvements, without impairing the original features of the structure, the City offices were moved there from the old Westminster Fire Department building at 63 West Main Street, during the administration of Mayor Frank A. Myers.
I wonder what it was like to have lived there right after it was built by Colonel John K. Longwell in 1842. Or what it would have been like to have been there in August 1863? That was when, as Frederic Shriver Klein writes in “Just South of Gettysburg” that over forty prominent Westminster citizens were arrested by Union soldiers on the charge of “general disloyalty.”
Those arrested included Dr. Mathias, Dr. Trumbo, Dr. J. W. Hering, Colonel and Mrs. Longwell - and their wives.
According to “Recollections” by Dr. Hering, at Mrs. Longwell’s “trial” on August 27th, 1863, in Westminster, she was told that “among other things, you are charged with feeding the rebel soldiers…”
“Well,” she replied, “I did, I would feed a hungry dog who came to my house. I would even feed you, if you came to my house hungry.” At that, it is reported that Mrs. Longwell’s husband, Colonel Longwell, “nearly collapsed.” Reportedly, Mrs. Longwell subsequently took the oath of allegiance. Others, however, did not and were imprisoned at Ft. McHenry.
However, getting back to a discussion of “Sacred Places in Westminster” …
Although it can be argued that Westminster is no longer a sleepy southern town; when I attend council meetings and witness all the “Peyton Place” – “Harper Valley PTA” operatic dramas take place I often think of the existential "Southern Gothic" genre of storytelling – and all the accompanying “Sacred Places in Westminster” not to be confused with the “sacred cows of Westminster;” however that is the stuff of another future essay, or not…
The month of July is recreation and parks month. At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Tom Ferguson read a proclamation recognizing July as Recreation and Parks Month, and paid tribute to the city's recreation and parks director Ron Schroers, as well as other employees who work tirelessly for our benefit.
The mayor’s proclamation recognized the importance of recreation in our community; and paid tribute to the large number of volunteers in the community that make it happen.
Family and recreation has always been important in Carroll County and as a result we celebrate recreation and parks month twelve months out of the year.
Nevertheless, we are particular fortunate to have many talented, community oriented citizens who devote a great deal of time to the various recreation councils and committees throughout the county; and it is only fitting that we collectively take a moment to recognize their efforts.
Not to be overlooked is the fact that we are equally privileged to have a county and eight municipal governments which also recognize the importance of family and recreational opportunities.
Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham are examples of the enormous talent that we often take for granted in Carroll County.
Dr. Zepp is now retired, but when the book was written, Dr. Zepp was a professor of religious studies at McDaniel College and taught several courses which reflected the “comparative, phenomenological and historical methods used in (the) book.”
Ms. Lanham, in 1981, was the public relations coordinator and photographer for Westminster. Among her many journalism credentials, she had been the editor of the “Diamondback,” at the University of Maryland for two years, where she got her degree in journalism.
It is in this context that took me back to the sacred public places as was described so well in a 1981 book by Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham - “Sacred Spaces of Westminster.”
One of the many recreational facilities that Mr. Schroers oversees is the very popular Westminster playground in the heart of the city. One the very first pictures in the book is a picture, taken by Ms. Lanham, of the Westminster Playground.
Moreover, towards the end of the book, the authors discuss one of the overlooked sacred landmarks in Westminster: the Memorial Gateway to the Westminster playground off of Center Street.
Zepp and Lanham explain that the "gateway was given to the city by H. Peyton Gorsuch in 1937. Its primary purpose was to acknowledge the community's debt to Carroll Countians who had served in the nation's wars."
Next chance you get, stop, and read the memorial plaque affixed to the Memorial Gateway.
The book goes on to portray and discuss public places such as Belle Grove Square and various other parks, gardens, memorials and monuments.
Included are discussions about the Mather Gardens behind City Hall, dedicated on Oct. 13, 1963; the War Memorial at the forks of Pennsylvania Avenue and West Main Streets; Ward Memorial Arch at McDaniel College; and the Westminster Community Pond, dedicated by Governor Theodore R. McKeldin on September 10, 1954…
I am reminded of a great tradition in Westminster, which has long since gone by the wayside, of erecting huge archways in town at special occasions.
Fortunately pictures still exist of huge archways over Liberty Street, Main Street in the vicinity of the old fire hall or at the forks of Main Street and Pennsylvania Avenue – back in the days when it was still part of Westminster’s business…
When the book came out, I had been practicing landscape designer and a keen observer of Westminster’s historic places for many years, and yet, Dr. Zepp and Ms. Lanham’s work caused me to look at Westminster’s history and public design in a much different light.
In a classic example of not seeing the forest for the trees, I began to look at our many squares, circles, fountains, monuments in a very different perspective.
As an aside, who can recall that when the park area, in the center of Westminster, at Locust Lane was first developed, it had a fountain in the center of the plaza.
When the book came out I had been a practicing landscape designer and a keen observer of Westminster's historic places for years, and yet, Zepp and Lanham caused me to look at Westminster's history and design in a much different light.
To the best of my knowledge, the book has been out of print for many years. Perhaps with the permission of the authors, an initiative could be undertaken to reprint this valuable resource and have it available at the Historical Society of Carroll County.
#####
Memorial service to celebrate professor’s life August 29 2009
http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/memorial-service-to-celebrate-dr-ira.html http://tinyurl.com/mrsl8y
http://www.mcdaniel.edu/10305.htm
For more articles on Dr Zepp click here: http://tinyurl.com/n3u32e
A memorial service celebrating Ira Zepp’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Aug. 29 on campus at Big Baker Chapel with the Rev. Carroll Yingling officiating. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at McDaniel Lounge.
Zepp, a 1952 alumnus and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at McDaniel College who inspired generations of students to lead lives committed to service, activism and peace, died Aug. 1. He was 79.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Ira & Mary Zepp Center for Nonviolence and Peace Education, P.O. Box 552, Westminster, MD 21158. Arrangements are by the Myers-Durboraw Funeral Home in Westminster. Online condolences may be made to the family at http://www.myersdurborawfh.com/.
Related:
Dr. Ira Zepp, 79, McDaniel College and Westminster civil rights leader, dies Published August 4, 2009 by Westminster Eagle
The Rev. Dr. Ira Gilbert Zepp Jr., professor emeritus of the religious studies department at McDaniel College, died peacefully at his home on Aug. 1. He was 79. In a memorial tribute by McDaniel College president Joan Develin Coley, she recalled that Dr. ... ...
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
R.I.P. – Dr. Ira Zepp
Kevin E. DayhoffLast Saturday word spread quickly throughout the greater Carroll County community that Rev. Dr. Ira Gilbert Zepp, Jr., professor emeritus of the Religious Studies department at McDaniel College, had died peacefully at his home. He was 79 years old.
Drs. J. W. Hering and Ira Zepp, Sacred Places and Westminster City Hall
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/drs-j-w-hering-and-ira-zepp-sacred.html
http://tinyurl.com/nfe522
Pictured is Westminster City Hall MD around 1953. Click here for a larger image: http://twitpic.com/ddez2
The death of Dr. Ira G. Zepp has reminded me of one of my columns which was published in http://www.explorecarroll.com/ on July 25, 2008. Find it here: http://tinyurl.com/6yb23j or find the full story on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ here: http://tinyurl.com/krebky
The Rev. Ira Zepp: Legacy of lessons
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/rev-ira-zepp-legacy-of-lessons.html
Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted on http://www.explorecarroll.com/ on 7/25/08 http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/2008/07/westminster-sacred-places-are-shrines.html
20090829 sdsom Mem service to celebrate professors life Aug 29 2009
http://kevindayhoffwestgov-net.blogspot.com/search/label/People%20Zepp-Dr%20Ira%20Zepp
*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835 Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/ Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/kevindayhoff_soundtrack
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