The Washington County Historical Society presented the Antietam National Battlefield Park with two significant gifts.
In the 1950s, purchase of the Dunker Church and gifting of the church and the Burnside Bridge were made possible through the work of Mary Vernon Mish and Dr. Walter H. Shealy of Sharpsburg, third and fourth presidents of the society, respectively.
With the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War (1861 to 1865) impacting local heritage tourism in a far more positive way than did the actual events, it is fitting to recognize one of these particular projects of WCHS, among many others, at this time. The Burnside Bridge will be covered in another column.
Saving Dunker Church
As Shealy took the helm of WCHS in 1949, he was determined to keep Mish engaged in the preservation work that had brought accolades to the organization. His observation of conditions occurring in and around the site of the Dunker Church alarmed him.
The little church was falling apart from neglect and wind damage from a storm in 1921. Several previous attempts at restoration had fallen by the wayside. He also felt the site was surrounded by elements that detracted greatly from the reverence the hallowed ground there deserved.
On Feb. 25, 1951, acting on a notice that the State Roads Department was going to condemn the site of the old church, the Washington County Historical Society authorized a committee. Headed by Shealy, the committee was to spend up to $5,000 to purchase the "Old Dunkard Church." Meanwhile, Mish continued to work on the Hager House restoration and the Harpers Ferry acquisition projects.
The Hager House fund continued to support the project there, including an archaeological dig in the cellar, before the floor was redone. The Harpers Ferry Monument was moving along in West Virginia, though one land owner in Maryland was blocking the incorporation of the Maryland Heights portion. Resolution for all of these issues needed to be found.
By June, after negotiations with the State Roads Commission and the property owner, the society obtained the deed and began to prepare a transfer of the church and some surrounding lots to the U.S. government. Owner Charles Turner was required to remove a temporary structure from the area before the deal was completed. The WCHS paid Turner $4,000 and acquired a mortgage for another $2,000 to cover early restoration.
Meetings began with representatives of the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, with the intent of investigating the eventual transfer of the property and acquisition of some items salvaged from the inside of the church.
Photographs of the original structure were procured from Grafton Smith of Sharpsburg. And assessment notes for the foundation lot of .325 acre and two adjacent properties were developed. The temporary dwelling (little house trailer) had been removed in the sales agreement with Turner. However, there remained a dwelling created from an old gas station and shed sitting on a 100-foot-by100-foot plot and the remaining Turner farm of 15.75 acres, which included a house, small barn, wash house and other outbuildings.
Raising the money
Next on the agenda was fundraising for the complete restoration of the church. Society members engaged the Brethren Community, some prominent families among the Brethren churches and the community-at-large. The mortgage was covered by a bond issue and the help of U.S. Sen. J. Glenn Beall of Maryland was enlisted in working with the U.S. Congress and the National Park Service to begin the restoration.
The challenge of simultaneously raising money for the Dunker Church and Hager House restorations were further challenged by a request to look for more land for veteran burials in the area and to save the threatened Rochester House at the southwest corner of Washington and Prospects streets. The Antietam National Cemetery was declared full and had been closed to further burials.
Numerous items of local historic importance were also being marketed to WCHS, with many challenges for funds and authentication of the artifacts, including a harpsichord said to have been owned by the Hager family. A commemorative plate was issued related to the Hager House. This was sold for fundraising and some were given to members and community leaders who made significant contributions of time, talent and money to the many projects underway.
In January 1954, the Hager House restoration was declared complete, with the budget staying within the $20,000 estimate overall. By this time it had been opened to more than 2,000 visitors. Then in June, the directors passed a resolution that the house be transferred in fee simple to the City of Hagerstown, pending the acceptance of the Mayor and Council.
The offer was accepted and the City decided to clear an additional ten acres around the site. In September, a new committee, to be known as Friends of the Hager House, was established to continue raising funds for appropriate furnishings, other period acquisitions and long-term maintenance.
The exhibits
Another committee prepared a major exhibit at the Mansion House at City Park of the many artifacts accumulating in the Society Collection. Summer attendance to the exhibit numbered 2,215. The success of this project prompted the Parks Board to offer storage and security to keep the exhibit at the Mansion House and reopen it the following summer.
How Dunker Church was saved
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The Washington County Historical Society obtained the deed to the Dunker Church at Antietam National Battlefield in 1951. (Submitted photo / May 25, 2012) |
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