Historical Society of Carroll County Calendar of Events
June 6, 2008
Please contact the Historical Society at (410) 848-6494 for information about the many events offered during the year.
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
Glimpses of the Civil War
Nearly 1,000 Carroll County men served in the military (on both sides) during the Civil War. Others who passed through during those trying times returned to call the county home. Mary Ann Ashcraft and Ned Landis tell the stories of some of these men and their lives during and after America’s great conflict. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
Bus trip - A.R.T. Research Enterprises (fine art foundry) and Ephrata Cloister
You've probably been to Lancaster before but you’ve never seen it like this! Learn to “Think Sculpture” during a unique visit to one of the largest fine arts foundries on the east coast. A.R.T. Research Enterprises has produced sculptures and memorials for locations from New York to Pittsburg to Washington to Detroit to Chicago to Tampa and places in between. This rare tour will provide the opportunity to see new art works being produced using the lost wax method and older pieces being restored to their original appearance.
After our artistic morning, we’re off to the Green Dragon in Ephrata. Since 1932, over 400 local growers, merchants and craftsmen have gathered on this 30-acre site, creating one of the largest farmers markets on the east coast. There will be time to explore the market and to find lunch on your own at one of the five sit-down restaurants or eleven snack shops. Lunch is not included in the price of the trip.
After lunch we’re off to a unique historic site, the Ephrata Cloister. One of America's earliest religious communities, the Ephrata Cloister was founded in 1732 by German settlers seeking spiritual goals rather than earthly rewards. Gathered in unique European style buildings, the community consisted of celibate Brothers and Sisters, and a married congregation of families. At its height in the 1740s and 1750s, about 300 members worked and worshiped at the Cloister. The Society declined after the American Revolution and by 1800 the celibate orders were practically. Many of the buildings remain including the Sisters’ House, Meetinghouse, Bake House, Print House and Solitary House. We’ll have a guided tour and time to explore the other buildings and the grounds.
The bus leaves from the parking lot on Ralph Street, behind the Church of the Ascension at 8:30 a.m. Cost for the trip (includes transportation and admissions) is $65 for Society members and $75 for non-members. Reservations are required by June 2. No refunds can be given for cancellations made after the reservation deadline. To reserve your seat, contact the Society at 410-848-6494.
TUESDAY, JULY 8
The Routes West: The National Road and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Two 19th century civil engineering projects - the Historic National Road and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad - opened up a major section of America for commerce, settlement, industry and leisure travel. Paul Bridge examines the common roots of these projects, how Marylanders were deeply involved and their legacies that are visible today. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 12
Good Sports
Don Haines, author of a new book on Carroll County athletes, discusses how he became involved in the project, the selection of athletes for inclusion in the book, how he researched his subjects, the choice of a publisher, the cost of the project and some of his favorite stories. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Fearless and Bold: The history of McDaniel College, 1866-2002
McDaniel College historian James Lightner will describe the seven-year process of researching and writing this extensive history of the local college, read some short excerpts from the book, answer questions and debunk some myths about the school’s history. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Antiques Appraisal Day
Bring your family treasures and join HSCC for this annual event. A panel of nationally-known and certified appraisers will be on hand to examine items and provide an identification and verbal estimation of value. Watch for details.
Thursday, September 18
Bus trip - Green Mount Cemetery and Hampton National Historic Site
Join HSCC as we travel to Baltimore and visit two extraordinary historic sites. First is Green Mount Cemetery, Baltimore's first garden cemetery and one of the earliest in the nation. Dedicated on July 13, 1839, Green Mount represented a new type of burial ground. Until this time burials were in churchyards which presented death as a terrifying passage to an unknown future and their grim appearance discouraged people from visiting them. By contrast, garden cemeteries reflected the Romanticism of the mid-19th century, showing death as a benign "falling asleep," glorifying nature by their landscaping and encouraging visitation. Built on the former country estate of merchant Robert Oliver, Green Mount encompasses 68 hilly acres with a long central plateau. Among the more than 78,000 graves at Green Mount are those of at least eight governors of Maryland (including Carroll County’s own Frank Brown), philanthropists Johns Hopkins and Enoch Pratt, Betsy Patterson Bonaparte, John Wilkes Booth and his father Junius Brutus Booth. A guided tour by historian Wayne R. Schaumburg will introduce us to some of the cemetery’s famous residents, with an emphasis on Union Bridge native William Henry Rinehart whose works and grave are in Green Mount.
Lunch will be at the Valley Inn. Watch for details on lunch choices.
After lunch we’re off to Hampton National Historic Site, home to the Ridgely family from 1695 to 1979. Between 1783 and 1790, Captain Charles Ridgely built a magnificent house on his 24,000 acre property. When completed, the house would be the largest in the United States. Hampton reflects classic Georgian symmetry with a large three-story structure connected to smaller wings on either side by hallways. The exterior is constructed of stone quarried on the property, stuccoed over and scored to resemble blocks of limestone. The large and lavish rooms reflected the Ridgelys’ taste for the styles of ancient Greece and Rome. Italianate gardens set on terraced earthworks were in place on the south side of the mansion by 1802 and on the north side was an English-style landscaped park. In the 1830s and 1840s, John and Eliza Ridgely carefully enhanced the "natural" landscape with exotic trees. The house was at the center of a financial empire that included ironworks, grain crops, beef cattle, thoroughbred horses, coal mining, marble quarries, mills, and mercantile interests. After a guided tour of the mansion, there will be time to explore the grounds and outbuildings.
The bus will leave from the parking lot on Ralph Street, behind the Church of the Ascension at 9:00 a.m. and will return to Westminster at 5:00 p.m. Watch for details on reservation deadline and pricing.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14
A Healthy Endeavor
For nearly half a century, Carroll Hospital Center has been providing quality medical care for the communities it serves. Founded by a group of forward-thinking community members, Carroll Hospital Center opened it doors as Carroll County General Hospital in 1961. Staff from the hospital offer insights about the people and events that have shaped the organization into the thriving medical center it is today. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Tours of Duty: Carroll County and the Vietnam War
Hundreds of Carroll County residents served in the military during the Vietnam War. Carroll County native Gary Jestes (a Vietnam veteran) and Jay Graybeal (Chief Curator at the Army Heritage and Education Center) tell the stories of some of Carroll’s soldiers - before, during and after the war - and of the twenty-one men who never returned home. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9
Hail to the Chiefs: Presidential Visits to Carroll County
From 1791 through the middle of the 20th century, Carroll County played host to five American presidents. Historical Society Curator Catherine Baty examines the who, when and why of these memorable days. Noon to 1:00. Admission is free for HSCC members; $3.00 admission for non-members. At Carroll Post, American Legion, corner of Green and Sycamore Streets in Westminster. Bring a lunch, dessert and beverages provided. Or buy lunch at the Legion. Lunches must be ordered by 11:30; call the Legion at (410) 857-7953 for selections and to place an order.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11
Holiday bus trip to Washington, D.C.
If your holidays are hectic, take a break and spend the day in Washington with the Historical Society of Carroll County.
We’ll be dropped off at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the first national museum in the country dedicated exclusively to Native Americans. The building, with its distinctive textured golden-colored limestone exterior was designed in consultation with many Native Americans. Approximately 8,000 objects from the museum’s permanent collection are on display in the exhibitions including Our Universes, Our Peoples, Our Lives, Window on Collections and Return to a Native Place.
Across the street is the United States Botanic Garden, located on the U.S. Capitol Grounds campus. The building includes a large Lord & Burnham greenhouse and is divided into separate rooms, each one simulating a different habitat. Noted for its displays of holiday plants, the Garden is the perfect spot to escape the winter chill. Feel free to spend your time in one museum or take the opportunity to visit both.
Everyone is free to enjoy lunch on their own. The Mitsitam Native Foods Café in the Museum of the American Indian is highly regarded and features Native foods found throughout the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, the Northwest Coast, Meso America and the Great Plains.
After lunch we’re off to The Donald W. Reynolds Center for American Art and Portraiture. Located in the Patent Office Building, the Center is home to two wonderful museums. The National Portrait Gallery portrays the men and women who have made significant contributions to the history and culture of the United States through its collection of paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and photographs. The Smithsonian American Art Museum is dedicated to the art and artists of the United States.
The bus leaves from the parking lot on Ralph Street, behind the Church of the Ascension at 8:00 a.m. Cost for the trip (includes transportation and admissions) is $45 for Society members and $55 for non-members. Reservation required; watch for reservation deadline. No refunds can be given for cancellations made after the reservation deadline. To reserve your seat, contact the Society at 410-848-6494.
Last updated: May 30, 2008
Historical Society of Carroll County
210 East Main Street, Westminster MD 21157
(410) 848-6494
