Hagerstown, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Hagerstown is a city in northwestern Maryland
, United States
. It is the county seat
of Washington County
, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland
. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area
(extending into West Virginia) was 269,140. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's sixth largest city.
Hagerstown has a distinct topography, formed by stone ridges running from northeast to southwest through the center of town. Geography accordingly bounds its neighborhoods. These ridges consist of upper Stonehenge limestone. Many of the older buildings were built from this stone, which is easily quarried and dressed onsite. It whitens in weathering and the edgewise conglomerate and wavy laminae become distinctly visible, giving a handsome and uniquely “Cumberland Valley
” appearance. Several of Hagerstown’s churches are constructed of Stonehenge limestone and its value and beauty as building rock many be seen particularly in St. John’s Episcopal Church
on West Antietam Street and the Presbyterian Church at the corner of Washington and Prospect Streets. Brick and concrete eventually displaced this native stone in the construction process.
Hagerstown anchors the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area
, which lies just northwest of the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV Combined Statistical Area
in the heart of the Great Appalachian Valley
. The population of the metropolitan area
in 2010 was 269,140. Greater Hagerstown is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the state of Maryland and among the fastest growing in the United States.
Despite its semi-rural Western Maryland setting, Hagerstown is a center of transit and commerce. Interstates 81
and 70
, CSX
, Norfolk Southern
, and the Winchester and Western
railroads, and Hagerstown Regional Airport
form an extensive transportation network for the city. Hagerstown is also the chief commercial and industrial hub for a greater Tri-State Area that includes much of Western Maryland as well as significant portions of South Central
Pennsylvania
and the Eastern Panhandle
of West Virginia
. Hagerstown has often been referred to as, and is nicknamed, the Hub City.
In 1739, Jonathan Hager
, a German immigrant from Pennsylvania and a volunteer Captain of Scouts, purchased 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land in the Great Appalachian Valley between the Blue Ridge
and Allegheny Mountains
in Maryland and called it Hager’s Fancy. In 1762, Hager officially founded the town of Elizabethtown which he named after his wife, Elizabeth Kershner. Fourteen years later, Jonathan Hager became known as the "Father of Washington County" after his efforts helped Hagerstown become the county seat of newly created Washington County which Hager also helped create from neighboring Frederick County, Maryland
. The City Council changed the community's name to Hagerstown in 1813 because the name had gained popular usage, and in the following year, the Maryland State Legislature officially endorsed the changing of the town’s name.
In 1794 government forces arrested 150 citizens during a draft riot
which was staged by protesters in response to the Whiskey Rebellion
.
. In 1861, General Robert Patterson
's troops used Hagerstown as a base to attack Virginia
troops in the Shenandoah Valley
. In the Maryland Campaign
of 1862, General James Longstreet
's command occupied the town while en route to the Battle of South Mountain
and Antietam
. In 1863, the city was the site of several military incursions and engagements as Gen. Robert E. Lee
's army invaded and retreated in the Gettysburg Campaign
. In 1864, Hagerstown was invaded by the Confederate Army
under Lt. Gen. Jubal Early. On Wednesday, July 6, Early sent 1,500 cavalry, commanded by Brig. Gen. John McCausland
, into Hagerstown to levy a ransom for $200,000 and a large amount of clothing, in retribution for Federal
destruction of farms, feed and cattle in the Shenandoah Valley
. McCausland misread the amount, instead collecting $20,000. This is in contrast to neighboring Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
, which McCausland razed on July 30 when the borough failed to supply the requested ransom of $500,000 in U.S. currency, or $100,000 in gold.
Throughout the Civil War, private physicians and citizens of Hagerstown gave assistance or aid to men from both the North and South in a number of locations, including the Franklin Hotel, Washington House, Lyceum, Hagerstown Male Academy, Key-Mar College, and a number of private residences.
The spread of smallpox
by returning soldiers to families and friends was a substantial problem during the war. The Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church volunteered the use of its church as a smallpox hospital when an epidemic spread throughout the town.
Following the war, in 1872 Maryland and Virginia cooperated to re-inter Confederate dead from their impromptu graves to cemeteries in Hagerstown, Frederick and Shepherdstown, West Virginia
. Roughly 60% however, remained unidentified. In 1877, 15 years after the Battle of Antietam
, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg
, approximately 2,800 Confederate dead from that battle and also from the battles on South Mountain were re-interred in Washington Confederate Cemetery, within Rosehill Cemetery in Hagerstown.
and an important city on the Pennsylvania
, Norfolk and Western
, Baltimore and Ohio
, and Hagerstown and Frederick Railroads. Currently, the city is a vital location on CSX
, Norfolk Southern
, and the Winchester and Western Railroad
s.
Hagerstown was formerly served by the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, an interurban
trolley
system, from 1896 to 1947.
One of the most recognizable symbols of Hagerstown is the weathervane known as "Little Heiskell." Named after the German tinsmith Benjamin Heiskell who crafted it in 1769 in the form of a Hessian soldier, it stood atop the Market House first and City Hall second for a combined 166 years. It was moved from the Market House to City Hall in 1824.
During the Civil War
era, the weathervane gained its characteristic bullet hole from a Confederate
sharpshooter, who won a bet after shooting it from a full city block away.
Finally in 1935, the original was retired to the Museum of the Washington County Historical Society, later to be moved to its present display in the Jonathan Hager House. An exact replica has replaced it atop City Hall.
The weathervane has also been depicted in the city's annual Mummers Day Parade by Mr. Charles Harry Rittenhouse, Sr. sporting all of the necessary accoutrements of a German
Mercenary
Soldier.
Little Heiskell is now also the mascot of North Hagerstown High School
.
building the Bellanca CD biplane in hopes of securing government contracts.
From 1931 to 1984, Fairchild Aircraft was based in Hagerstown and was by far the area's most prominent employer. The importance of the company to the city and the country as a whole earned Hagerstown its former nickname "Home of the Flying Boxcar."
Fairchild moved to Hagerstown from Farmingdale, New York
, in 1931 after Sherman Fairchild purchased a majority stock interest in Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company of Hagerstown in 1929. Among Fairchild's products during World War II were PT-19/PT-23/PT-26 (Cornell) and AT-21 trainers, C-82
"Packet" cargo planes and missiles. At its height in World War II, Fairchild employed directly and indirectly up to 80% of Hagerstown's workforce or roughly 10,000 people.
In the postwar era, Fairchild continued to produce aircraft in Hagerstown such as C-123 Provider
, Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227
, FH-1100, C-26 Metroliner
, UC-26 Metroliner, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the T-46 jet trainer.
All production ceased in Hagerstown in 1984 and the company moved elsewhere. Presently, the company is based in San Antonio, Texas
and after a series of mergers and acquisitions, is known as M7 Aerospace
.
The Hagerstown Aviation Museum shows many of these original aircraft. Among the ones on display are: 1939 F24/UC-61C, 1945 C-82A, 1943 PT-19A, and the 1953 C-119. The museum is located near Hagerstown Regional Airport in the airport's former terminal.
Hagerstown is also the birthplace of Salisbury, Maryland
-based Piedmont Airlines
which started out as Henson Aviation. It was founded by Richard A. Henson
in 1931. Today, Hagerstown Regional Airport-Richard A. Henson Field
is named as such in honor of the airlines' founder.
Today, only small to medium-sized aviation companies remain in the area. Two notable names include Fugro EarthData, which maintains its aviation division in Hagerstown, and Sierra Nevada Corporation
, a defense electronics engineering and manufacturing contractor.
and north of the Potomac River
and between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains in a part of the Great Appalachian Valley known regionally as Cumberland Valley
and locally as Hagerstown Valley
. The community also lies within close proximity of Pennsylvania
, West Virginia
, and Virginia
. Hagerstown, by driving distance, is approximately 70 miles (112.7 km) northwest of Washington, D.C.
, 72 miles (115.9 km) west-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, and 74 miles (119.1 km) southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (27.7 km²), of which 0.09% is water. Major waterways within Hagerstown include Hamilton Run and Antietam Creek
that are tributaries of the Potomac River. Natural landscape around Hagerstown consists of low, rolling hills with elevations of 500 feet (152.4 m) to 800 feet (243.8 m) above sea level and rich, fertile land that is well-suited and utilized for dairy farming, cornfields, and fruit orchards typical of Mid-Atlantic
agriculture.
zone and the humid continental climate
zone (Köppen Dfa), with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.
of 2000, there were 36,687 people, 15,849 households, and 9,081 families residing in the city. Updated 1 July 2008 census estimates reflect Hagerstown having 39,728 people, an increase of 8.3% from the year 2000.
According to Census 2000
figures, the population density
was 3,441.5 people per square mile (1,328.8/km²). There were 17,089 housing units at an average density of 1,603.1 per square mile (619.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.95% White, 10.15% Black, 1.77% Hispanic or Latino, 0.25% Indigenous American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races
, and 1.83% from two or more races. There were 17,154 males and 19,533 females residing in the city.
There were 15,849 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,796, and the median income for a family was $38,149. Males had a median income of $31,200 versus $22,549 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,153. About 15.1% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Past Mayors:
Hagerstown has 2 major shopping malls:
Other significant retail centers/areas include:
. Antietam National Battlefield
, the site of the bloodiest single day in American history, is located in nearby Sharpsburg, Maryland
. South Mountain State Battlefield
is also located in Washington County in Boonsboro
. Gettysburg
, Monocacy
, and Harpers Ferry
battlefields are all located within a 30 minute drive of Hagerstown.
Fort Frederick State Park
, which features a restored fort used in the French and Indian War
, is west of the city in nearby Big Pool, Maryland
.
Washington Monument State Park near Boonsboro pays tribute to the country's first president, George Washington
. It is the oldest structure to honor the 'father of our country.'
Hagerstown is also home to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Headquarters.
The city also has a number of sites and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
, which is home to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
, Mansion House Art Gallery, Western Maryland 202 Locomotive Display and Museum
, and the Hager House and Museum (once home of Jonathan Hager
, founder of Hagerstown). Outside of the Park, Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum
showcases exhibits of Hagerstown's early railroad history. Discovery Station
, located downtown, is a hands-on science and technology museum featuring exhibits in numerous galleries and display areas, including the Hagerstown Aviation Museum.
and the annual Miss Maryland USA
Beauty Pageants. The city also has the Washington County Playhouse. The new Academy Theatre Banquet & Conference Center, located downtown, houses the community theater group Potomac Playmakers. And the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
will be opening as a magnet school
for gifted art students in downtown Hagerstown's arts and entertainment district.
Downtown Hagerstown recently has enjoyed a resurgence and now hosts several popular annual events. Downtown Live! is an alternative festival that features live reggae and rock music and entertainment held at various times throughout the year. The city draws thousands every year around May–June to the Western Maryland Blues Fest, which showcases blues artists from around the country. The popular Augustoberfest celebrates Hagerstown's German heritage. And the annual Alsatia Mummers' Halloween Parade happens to be the largest nighttime parade on the East Coast.
Fairgrounds Park
features recreational facilities such as the Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex and hosts various events throughout the year like the annual Hagerstown Hispanic Festival held in mid-September.
minor-league baseball team. The Suns play in the South Atlantic League
and are a Class A
affiliate of the Washington Nationals
. They play in Municipal Stadium
.
To the west of the city lies Hagerstown Speedway, a nationally known dirt-track racing venue. Another professional racing track, Mason-Dixon Dragway, is located just southeast of Hagerstown.
Print
. The following box contains all of the radio stations in the area:
, the ninth largest in the United States, with Washington, D.C.
(Administered by Washington County Public Schools
)
In addition, many Hagerstown students attend the following:
Private high schools
The Primary Cities are Hagerstown, MD and Martinsburg, WV. Other communities in the MSA include: Halfway, MD
, Paramount-Long Meadow, MD
, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, MD
, Robinwood, MD
, Maugansville, MD
, Boonsboro, MD
, Smithsburg, MD
, Williamsport, MD
, Falling Waters, WV
, Hedgesville, WV
, Inwood, WV
and Berkeley Springs, WV
.
The metropolitan area's population in 2000 was 222,771. The 2008 estimate is 263,753, making Greater Hagerstown the 169th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The growth rate from 2000-2008 is +18.4%, the 48th highest among metropolitan areas in the entire country and the highest in Maryland (and in West Virginia). The growth is mostly due to the influx of people from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD.
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Washington County
Washington County, Maryland
Washington County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering southern Pennsylvania to the north, northern Virginia to the south, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. As of the 2010 Census, its population is 147,430...
, and, by many definitions, the largest city in a region known as Western Maryland
Western Maryland
Western Maryland is the portion of the U.S. state of Maryland that consists of Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett counties. The region is bounded by the Mason-Dixon line to the north, Preston County, West Virginia to the west, and the Potomac River to the south. There is dispute over the...
. The population of Hagerstown city proper at the 2010 census was 39,662, and the population of the Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area
Hagerstown Metropolitan Area
The Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area, officially designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Maryland-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area , constitutes the primary cities of Hagerstown, Maryland, Martinsburg, West Virginia, and...
(extending into West Virginia) was 269,140. Hagerstown ranks as Maryland's sixth largest city.
Hagerstown has a distinct topography, formed by stone ridges running from northeast to southwest through the center of town. Geography accordingly bounds its neighborhoods. These ridges consist of upper Stonehenge limestone. Many of the older buildings were built from this stone, which is easily quarried and dressed onsite. It whitens in weathering and the edgewise conglomerate and wavy laminae become distinctly visible, giving a handsome and uniquely “Cumberland Valley
Cumberland Valley
The Cumberland Valley is a constituent valley of the Great Appalachian Valley and a North American agricultural region within the Atlantic Seaboard watershed in Pennsylvania and Maryland....
” appearance. Several of Hagerstown’s churches are constructed of Stonehenge limestone and its value and beauty as building rock many be seen particularly in St. John’s Episcopal Church
Saint John's Church (Hagerstown, Maryland)
St. John's Church, or St. John's Episcopal Church, founded in 1786, is an historic Episcopal church located at 101 South Prospect Street in the South Prospect Street Historic District of Hagerstown, Maryland...
on West Antietam Street and the Presbyterian Church at the corner of Washington and Prospect Streets. Brick and concrete eventually displaced this native stone in the construction process.
Hagerstown anchors the Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area
Hagerstown Metropolitan Area
The Hagerstown-Martinsburg Metropolitan Area, officially designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Hagerstown-Martinsburg, Maryland-West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area , constitutes the primary cities of Hagerstown, Maryland, Martinsburg, West Virginia, and...
, which lies just northwest of the Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV Combined Statistical Area
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a combined statistical area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Jefferson County in the Eastern Panhandle of West...
in the heart of the Great Appalachian Valley
Great Appalachian Valley
The Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley Region, is one of the major landform features of eastern North America. It is a gigantic trough — a chain of valley lowlands — and the central feature of the Appalachian Mountain system...
. The population of the metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
in 2010 was 269,140. Greater Hagerstown is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the state of Maryland and among the fastest growing in the United States.
Despite its semi-rural Western Maryland setting, Hagerstown is a center of transit and commerce. Interstates 81
Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
and 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
, CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, and the Winchester and Western
Winchester and Western Railroad
The Winchester and Western Railroad is a shortline railroad operating from Gore through Winchester, Virginia and West Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland. It also operates several lines in southern New Jersey, connecting to Conrail Shared Assets Operations at Millville and Vineland...
railroads, and Hagerstown Regional Airport
Hagerstown Regional Airport
Hagerstown Regional Airport , also known as Richard A. Henson Field, is a county-owned public-use airport in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is located four nautical miles north of the central business district of Hagerstown, about a half mile from the Maryland/Pennsylvania border....
form an extensive transportation network for the city. Hagerstown is also the chief commercial and industrial hub for a greater Tri-State Area that includes much of Western Maryland as well as significant portions of South Central
South Central Pennsylvania
South Central Pennsylvania is a region of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the fourteen counties of Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, and York....
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
and the Eastern Panhandle
Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia
The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia is a narrow stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia, United States. The Eastern Panhandle Board of Realtors and other local civic organizations consider only the three Easternmost counties, Jefferson, Berkeley and...
of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Hagerstown has often been referred to as, and is nicknamed, the Hub City.
Founding
Jonathan Hager
Jonathan Hager is the founder of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. He was born in Germany and fought in the French and Indian War serving out of Fort Frederick.-History:...
, a German immigrant from Pennsylvania and a volunteer Captain of Scouts, purchased 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land in the Great Appalachian Valley between the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
and Allegheny Mountains
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
in Maryland and called it Hager’s Fancy. In 1762, Hager officially founded the town of Elizabethtown which he named after his wife, Elizabeth Kershner. Fourteen years later, Jonathan Hager became known as the "Father of Washington County" after his efforts helped Hagerstown become the county seat of newly created Washington County which Hager also helped create from neighboring Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
. The City Council changed the community's name to Hagerstown in 1813 because the name had gained popular usage, and in the following year, the Maryland State Legislature officially endorsed the changing of the town’s name.
In 1794 government forces arrested 150 citizens during a draft riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
which was staged by protesters in response to the Whiskey Rebellion
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion, or Whiskey Insurrection, was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented...
.
Civil War
Hagerstown's strategic location at the border between the North and the South made the city a primary staging area and supply center for four major campaigns during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In 1861, General Robert Patterson
Robert Patterson
Robert Patterson was a United States major general during the Mexican-American War and at the beginning of the American Civil War...
's troops used Hagerstown as a base to attack Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
troops in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. In the Maryland Campaign
Maryland Campaign
The Maryland Campaign, or the Antietam Campaign is widely considered one of the major turning points of the American Civil War. Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's first invasion of the North was repulsed by Maj. Gen. George B...
of 1862, General James Longstreet
James Longstreet
James Longstreet was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the...
's command occupied the town while en route to the Battle of South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
and Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
. In 1863, the city was the site of several military incursions and engagements as Gen. Robert E. Lee
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee was a career military officer who is best known for having commanded the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in the American Civil War....
's army invaded and retreated in the Gettysburg Campaign
Gettysburg Campaign
The Gettysburg Campaign was a series of battles fought in June and July 1863, during the American Civil War. After his victory in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Confederate General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia moved north for offensive operations in Maryland and Pennsylvania. The...
. In 1864, Hagerstown was invaded by the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
under Lt. Gen. Jubal Early. On Wednesday, July 6, Early sent 1,500 cavalry, commanded by Brig. Gen. John McCausland
John McCausland
John McCausland, Jr. was a brigadier general in the Confederate States Army, famous for the ransom of Hagerstown, Maryland, and the razing of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, during the American Civil War....
, into Hagerstown to levy a ransom for $200,000 and a large amount of clothing, in retribution for Federal
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
destruction of farms, feed and cattle in the Shenandoah Valley
Shenandoah Valley
The Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
. McCausland misread the amount, instead collecting $20,000. This is in contrast to neighboring Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Chambersburg is a borough in the South Central region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is miles north of Maryland and the Mason-Dixon line and southwest of Harrisburg in the Cumberland Valley, which is part of the Great Appalachian Valley. Chambersburg is the county seat of Franklin County...
, which McCausland razed on July 30 when the borough failed to supply the requested ransom of $500,000 in U.S. currency, or $100,000 in gold.
Throughout the Civil War, private physicians and citizens of Hagerstown gave assistance or aid to men from both the North and South in a number of locations, including the Franklin Hotel, Washington House, Lyceum, Hagerstown Male Academy, Key-Mar College, and a number of private residences.
The spread of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
by returning soldiers to families and friends was a substantial problem during the war. The Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church volunteered the use of its church as a smallpox hospital when an epidemic spread throughout the town.
Following the war, in 1872 Maryland and Virginia cooperated to re-inter Confederate dead from their impromptu graves to cemeteries in Hagerstown, Frederick and Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Shepherdstown is a town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, located along the Potomac River. It is the oldest town in the state, having been chartered in 1762 by Colonial Virginia's General Assembly. Since 1863, Shepherdstown has been in West Virginia, and is the oldest town in...
. Roughly 60% however, remained unidentified. In 1877, 15 years after the Battle of Antietam
Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam , fought on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, as part of the Maryland Campaign, was the first major battle in the American Civil War to take place on Northern soil. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with about 23,000...
, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately south of Hagerstown. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
, approximately 2,800 Confederate dead from that battle and also from the battles on South Mountain were re-interred in Washington Confederate Cemetery, within Rosehill Cemetery in Hagerstown.
Railroads
Hagerstown's nickname of the "Hub City" came from the large number of railroads (and roads) that served the city. Hagerstown was the center of the Western Maryland RailwayWestern Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
and an important city on the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, Norfolk and Western
Norfolk and Western Railway
The Norfolk and Western Railway , a US class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982. It had headquarters in Roanoke, Virginia for most of its 150 year existence....
, Baltimore and Ohio
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, and Hagerstown and Frederick Railroads. Currently, the city is a vital location on CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, Norfolk Southern
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
, and the Winchester and Western Railroad
Winchester and Western Railroad
The Winchester and Western Railroad is a shortline railroad operating from Gore through Winchester, Virginia and West Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland. It also operates several lines in southern New Jersey, connecting to Conrail Shared Assets Operations at Millville and Vineland...
s.
Hagerstown was formerly served by the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, an interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system, from 1896 to 1947.
Little Heiskell
During the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
era, the weathervane gained its characteristic bullet hole from a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
sharpshooter, who won a bet after shooting it from a full city block away.
Finally in 1935, the original was retired to the Museum of the Washington County Historical Society, later to be moved to its present display in the Jonathan Hager House. An exact replica has replaced it atop City Hall.
The weathervane has also been depicted in the city's annual Mummers Day Parade by Mr. Charles Harry Rittenhouse, Sr. sporting all of the necessary accoutrements of a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
Soldier.
Little Heiskell is now also the mascot of North Hagerstown High School
North Hagerstown High School
North Hagerstown High School is located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The current principal is Valerie Novak, a former principal of Northern Middle School. The school's colors are red, white, and black. The school is part of the Washington County Public...
.
Aviation heritage
Hagerstown's first aircraft production came in WWI with the Maryland Pressed Steel CompanyMaryland Pressed Steel Company
Maryland Pressed Steel Company was an American aircraft manufacturer of the Bellanca CD, and CE aircraft.The New York & Hagerstown Metal Stamping Co manufactured arms for the British and was reorganized into the Maryland Pressed Steel Company in 1914. In 1916, the Poole Engineering and Machine Co...
building the Bellanca CD biplane in hopes of securing government contracts.
From 1931 to 1984, Fairchild Aircraft was based in Hagerstown and was by far the area's most prominent employer. The importance of the company to the city and the country as a whole earned Hagerstown its former nickname "Home of the Flying Boxcar."
Fairchild moved to Hagerstown from Farmingdale, New York
Farmingdale, New York
The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
, in 1931 after Sherman Fairchild purchased a majority stock interest in Kreider-Reisner Aircraft Company of Hagerstown in 1929. Among Fairchild's products during World War II were PT-19/PT-23/PT-26 (Cornell) and AT-21 trainers, C-82
C-82 Packet
The C-82 Packet was a twin-engine, twin-boom cargo aircraft designed and built by Fairchild Aircraft. It was used briefly by the United States Army Air Forces and United States Navy following World War II.-Design and development:...
"Packet" cargo planes and missiles. At its height in World War II, Fairchild employed directly and indirectly up to 80% of Hagerstown's workforce or roughly 10,000 people.
In the postwar era, Fairchild continued to produce aircraft in Hagerstown such as C-123 Provider
C-123 Provider
The C-123 Provider was an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and subsequently built by Fairchild Aircraft for the United States Air Force...
, Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227
Fairchild Hiller FH-227
The Fairchild F-27 and Fairchild Hiller FH-227 were versions of the Fokker F27 Friendship twin-engined turboprop passenger aircraft manufactured under license by Fairchild Hiller in the United States...
, FH-1100, C-26 Metroliner
C-26 Metroliner
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Donald, David, general editor. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X....
, UC-26 Metroliner, Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, and the T-46 jet trainer.
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
and after a series of mergers and acquisitions, is known as M7 Aerospace
M7 Aerospace
M7 Aerospace LP is an aerospace company with its headquarters on the property of San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio, Texas.M7 is the successor organization to Fairchild-Dornier Aviation, having bought much of that firm's assets out of bankruptcy. M7 occupies the...
.
The Hagerstown Aviation Museum shows many of these original aircraft. Among the ones on display are: 1939 F24/UC-61C, 1945 C-82A, 1943 PT-19A, and the 1953 C-119. The museum is located near Hagerstown Regional Airport in the airport's former terminal.
Hagerstown is also the birthplace of Salisbury, Maryland
Salisbury, Maryland
-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
-based Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines is an American regional airline operating for US Airways Express. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the US Airways Group, headquartered in unincorporated Wicomico County, Maryland, near the city of Salisbury, it conducts flight operations using De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft...
which started out as Henson Aviation. It was founded by Richard A. Henson
Richard A. Henson
Richard A. Henson was an American test pilot, flight school operator, and founder of the modern "commuter airline" concept.- Early life :Henson was a test pilot for Fairchild Aircraft Corporation during the Depression...
in 1931. Today, Hagerstown Regional Airport-Richard A. Henson Field
Hagerstown Regional Airport
Hagerstown Regional Airport , also known as Richard A. Henson Field, is a county-owned public-use airport in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is located four nautical miles north of the central business district of Hagerstown, about a half mile from the Maryland/Pennsylvania border....
is named as such in honor of the airlines' founder.
Today, only small to medium-sized aviation companies remain in the area. Two notable names include Fugro EarthData, which maintains its aviation division in Hagerstown, and Sierra Nevada Corporation
Sierra Nevada Corporation
Sierra Nevada Corporation is an electronic systems provider and systems integrator specializing in microsatellites, energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, and commercial orbital transportation services. The company contracts with the US military, NASA and private spaceflight companies. The company...
, a defense electronics engineering and manufacturing contractor.
Location and topography
Hagerstown is located at 39°38′34"N 77°43′12"W (39.642771, -77.719954). It is south of the Mason-Dixon LineMason-Dixon line
The Mason–Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in the resolution of a border dispute between British colonies in Colonial America. It forms a demarcation line among four U.S. states, forming part of the borders of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and...
and north of the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
and between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains in a part of the Great Appalachian Valley known regionally as Cumberland Valley
Cumberland Valley
The Cumberland Valley is a constituent valley of the Great Appalachian Valley and a North American agricultural region within the Atlantic Seaboard watershed in Pennsylvania and Maryland....
and locally as Hagerstown Valley
Hagerstown Valley
Hagerstown Valley is located in Maryland in the United States. It is part of the Great Appalachian Valley, which continues northward as Cumberland Valley in Pennsylvania, and southward as Shenandoah Valley in West Virginia and Virginia....
. The community also lies within close proximity of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
, and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Hagerstown, by driving distance, is approximately 70 miles (112.7 km) northwest of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, 72 miles (115.9 km) west-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, and 74 miles (119.1 km) southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (27.7 km²), of which 0.09% is water. Major waterways within Hagerstown include Hamilton Run and Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek
Antietam Creek is a tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the United States, a region known as the Hagerstown Valley...
that are tributaries of the Potomac River. Natural landscape around Hagerstown consists of low, rolling hills with elevations of 500 feet (152.4 m) to 800 feet (243.8 m) above sea level and rich, fertile land that is well-suited and utilized for dairy farming, cornfields, and fruit orchards typical of Mid-Atlantic
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
agriculture.
Climate
Hagerstown is situated in the transition between the humid subtropical climateHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
zone and the humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
zone (Köppen Dfa), with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.
Demographics
As of the U.S. censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 36,687 people, 15,849 households, and 9,081 families residing in the city. Updated 1 July 2008 census estimates reflect Hagerstown having 39,728 people, an increase of 8.3% from the year 2000.
According to Census 2000
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
figures, the population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 3,441.5 people per square mile (1,328.8/km²). There were 17,089 housing units at an average density of 1,603.1 per square mile (619.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.95% White, 10.15% Black, 1.77% Hispanic or Latino, 0.25% Indigenous American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.83% from two or more races. There were 17,154 males and 19,533 females residing in the city.
There were 15,849 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 35.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 25.6% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,796, and the median income for a family was $38,149. Males had a median income of $31,200 versus $22,549 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,153. About 15.1% of families and 18.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.
Mayor
The current city executive or Mayor of Hagerstown is Robert "Bob" E. Bruchey II (R) who has served the city since March 2006.Past Mayors:
- 2005-2006 Richard F. TrumpRichard F. TrumpRichard F. Trump was mayor of the American city of Hagerstown, Maryland from May 2005 to February 2006. He was elected after many years of service and experience in the community. Richard Trump is the owner of MMGI Publications, which publishes the Valley Revue, seven real estate magazines, and...
(R) - 2001-2005 William M. Breichner (D)
- 1997-2001 Robert E. Bruchey II (R)
- 1985-1997 Steven T. Sager (D)
- 1981-1985 Donald R. Frush (R)
- 1973-1981 Varner L. Paddock (R)
- 1965-1973 Herman L. Mills (R)
- 1953-1965 Winslow F. Burhans
- 1949-1953 Herman L. Mills (R)
- 1941-1949 Richard H. Sweeney
- 1937-1941 W. Lee Elgin
- 1933-1937 I. M. Wertz
City Council
The representative body of Hagerstown is known as the City Council. Among its members are: Lewis Metzner (D), William M. Breichner (D), Martin Brubaker (D), Forrest Easton (R), and Ashley Haywood (I).Other representation
Christopher B. Shank represents Hagerstown in the Maryland Senate while John P. Donoghue stands for the Hagerstown area in the Maryland House of Delegates. Roscoe Bartlett serves Maryland's 6th congressional district which includes Hagerstown in the U.S. Congress.Economy
Once primarily an industrial community, Hagerstown's economy depended heavily on railroad transportation and manufacturing, notably of aircraft, trucks, automobiles, textiles, and furniture. Today, the city has a diversified, stable business environment with modern service companies in various fields as well as continued strength in manufacturing and transportation in railroads and highways. Surrounding Hagerstown, there has been and continues to be a strong agricultural presence while tourism, especially with respect to the retail sector, also provides support to the local economy.Major companies
(*=corporate headquarters in area)- AeroSys Inc.*
- Bowman Development*
- Brethren Mutual Insurance*
- Cinetic Landis
- CitigroupCitigroupCitigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
- DOT Foods
- FedExFedExFedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
Ground - First DataFirst DataFirst Data Corporation is an American payment processing company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. First Data is a provider of electronic commerce and payment solutions...
- Fugro EarthData
- High Rock Interactive*
- Home Depot
- Horizon Goodwill Industries*
- Intelsat
- Jamison Door*
- JLG Industries
- Kellogg Co.
- Lehigh Phoenix*
- Lenox
- Macro Retail*
- Maryland Paper*
- NetConn Solutions*
- Northrop Grumman California Microwaves
- Pavestone
- Progress Media
- RadioShackRadioShackRadioShack Corporation is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...
- Review and Herald Publishing Association*
- Sealy
- Sierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada CorporationSierra Nevada Corporation is an electronic systems provider and systems integrator specializing in microsatellites, energy, telemedicine, nanotechnology, and commercial orbital transportation services. The company contracts with the US military, NASA and private spaceflight companies. The company...
- Staples
- Susquehanna Bank
- Unilever "Heartbrand" Ice Cream
- Volvo Powertrain
- Wolters Kluwer Health
Healthcare
- Brook Lane Psychiatric Center, private mental health facility.
- Meritus Medical Center, acute care facility
- Western Maryland Hospital Center, chronic-care state-run health center.
Shopping
Hagerstown-Washington County boasts one of the highest densities of retail in the country.Hagerstown has 2 major shopping malls:
- Hagerstown Premium Outlets, a 100+ store outlet mall which attracts visitors from Washington and Baltimore as well as nearby counties.
- Valley MallValley Mall (Hagerstown)Valley Mall is an American shopping mall serving Hagerstown, Western Maryland and nearby communities in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Valley Mall is one of two indoor malls in the Hagerstown Metropolitan Area...
, anchored by Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, JCPenney, Sears, The Bon-Ton, Old Navy, Toys R Us, and Regal Cinemas 16.
Other significant retail centers/areas include:
- Dual Hwy.- Wonder Book & Video and Super Shoes.
- Garland Groh Blvd.- Wal-MartWal-MartWal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
Supercenter, Home Depot, Dick's Sporting Goods, PetSmartPetSmartPetSmart, Inc. is a retail chain doing business in the United States and Canada engaged in the sale of specialty pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training, PetSmart PetsHotel dog and cat boarding facilities and Doggie Day Care.- History :...
, Pier 1 ImportsPier 1 ImportsPier 1 Imports Inc. is a Fort Worth, Texas based retailer specializing in imported home furnishings and decor, particularly furniture, table-top items, decorative accessories and seasonal decor. The chain operates over 1,000 stores under the name Pier 1 Imports in the United States, Canada, Mexico...
, Bed Bath and Beyond, Office Max, Marshalls, A.C. Moore, Border's Books and Music, Five Below, and Best BuyBest BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
. - Longmeadow/Leitersburg Pike- Ashley Furniture, Pennsylvania Dutch Market, Lowe'sLowe'sLowe's Companies, Inc. is a U.S.-based chain of retail home improvement and appliance stores. Founded in 1946 in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the chain now serves more than 14 million customers a week in its 1,710 stores in the United States and 20 in Canada. Expansion into Canada began in...
, and Hagerstown Cinemas 10. - South End/Town Center- Aaron's, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Big Lots, and Tuesday Morning.
- Wesel Blvd./Halfway Blvd./Massey Blvd./Cole Rd.- KmartKmartKmart, sometimes styled as "K-Mart," is a chain of discount department stores. The chain acquired Sears in 2005, forming a new corporation under the name Sears Holdings Corporation. The company was founded in 1962 and is the third largest discount store chain in the world, behind Wal-Mart and...
, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Tractor Supply, Staples, Value City Furniture, Sam's ClubSam's ClubSam's Club is a chain of membership-only retail warehouse clubs owned and operated by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., founded in 1983 and named after Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton. , the Sam's Club chain serves more than 47 million U.S. members...
, Just Cabinets &, Lowe's, PetcoPETCOPETCO is a chain of retail stores that offers pet supplies and services such as grooming and dog training. Founded in 1965 and incorporated in Delaware, it is headquartered in San Diego, California...
, David's Bridal, Michael's Craft, TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, Kohl'sKohl'sKohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
, RoomStore Furniture, Christmas Tree ShopsChristmas Tree ShopsChristmas Tree Shops are a retail chain that started in Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts on Cape Cod in 1970 as a complex of three small stores; the Front Shop, the Back Shop, and the Barn Shop. The multiple store location, which was located on Route 6A, explains why the name is Christmas Tree Shops...
, and Ross Dress For Less.
Highways
-
Interstate 81Interstate 81Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
(runs north to Northern New York and south to Eastern Tennessee) -
Interstate 70Interstate 70Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
(runs east to Baltimore and west to Utah) -
U.S. Route 40U.S. Route 40U.S. Route 40 is an east–west United States highway. As with most routes whose numbers end in a zero, U.S. 40 once traversed the entire United States. It is one of the original 1920s U.S. Highways, and its first termini were San Francisco, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey...
(runs parallel to I-70) -
U.S. Route 11U.S. Route 11U.S. Route 11 is a north–south United States highway extending 1,645 miles across the eastern United States. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 90 in the Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge in eastern New Orleans, Louisiana. The northern terminus is at the United...
(runs parallel to I-81) -
U.S. Route 40 Alternate (runs parallel to US 40 in Western Maryland)
-
Maryland Route 58Maryland Route 58Maryland Route 58 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Cearfoss Pike, the state highway runs from MD 63 in Cearfoss east to Key Circle in Hagerstown... -
Maryland Route 60Maryland Route 60Maryland Route 60 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Leitersburg Pike, the state highway runs from the intersection of Potomac Street and Northern Avenue in Hagerstown east to the Pennsylvania state line near Leitersburg, where the highway continues... -
Maryland Route 64Maryland Route 64Maryland Route 64 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state highway runs from U.S. Route 40 in Hagerstown east to the Pennsylvania state line near Ringgold, where the highway continues as Pennsylvania Route 997... -
Maryland Route 65Maryland Route 65Maryland Route 65 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for most of its length as Sharpsburg Pike, the state highway runs from MD 34 in Sharpsburg north to the southern end of Hagerstown, where the highway continues north as Potomac Street toward the downtown area... -
Maryland Route 144Maryland Route 144Maryland Route 144 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 between Cumberland and Baltimore... -
Maryland Route 632Maryland Route 632Maryland Route 632 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Downsville Pike, the state highway runs from MD 63 in Downsville north to Maryland Avenue in Hagerstown. MD 632 was constructed along the path of a former turnpike in the late 1930s...
Mass transportation
- The County Commuter buses provide extensive transportation within the city. More limited service is available to surrounding communities in Washington County.
- The Maryland Transit AdministrationMaryland Transit AdministrationThe Maryland Transit Administration is a state-operated mass transit administration in Maryland, and is part of the Maryland Department of Transportation. It is better known as MTA Maryland to avoid confusion with other cities' transit agencies who share the initials MTA. The MTA operates a...
operates the Route 991 commuter busRoute 991 (MTA Maryland)Route 991 is a commuter bus route operated by the Maryland Transit Administration in the U.S. state of Maryland between Hagerstown, Frederick, and the Shady Grove Metro Station. The line is operated by the private contactor Eyre Bus Company...
on weekdays to nearby Frederick, MarylandFrederick, MarylandFrederick is a city in north-central Maryland. It is the county seat of Frederick County, the largest county by area in the state of Maryland. Frederick is an outlying community of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of a greater...
and the Shady Grove Metro Station, where riders can transfer to reach Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. - Miller Cabs and Turner Vans service the Hagerstown area but are usually available only upon request. Downtown Taxi! offers cab service people can hail in the downtown vicinity.
- Greyhound LinesGreyhound LinesGreyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
and Atlantic Charter Buses provide coach bus service to major cities near and far including directly to Baltimore, HarrisburgHarrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, RichmondRichmond, VirginiaRichmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, and Washington. - Hagerstown Regional AirportHagerstown Regional AirportHagerstown Regional Airport , also known as Richard A. Henson Field, is a county-owned public-use airport in Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is located four nautical miles north of the central business district of Hagerstown, about a half mile from the Maryland/Pennsylvania border....
, also known as Richard A. Henson Field, is located approximately 5 miles (8 km) due north of Hagerstown off U.S. Route 11 and Interstate 81. It is a frequent landing site for the U.S. PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
on the way to Camp DavidCamp DavidCamp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 60 mi north-northwest of Washington, D.C., on the property of Catoctin Mountain Park in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Thurmont, at an elevation of...
. The airport is commercially serviced by Allegiant AirAllegiant AirAllegiant Air is an American low-cost airline owned by Allegiant Travel Co. that operates scheduled and charter flights. Allegiant Travel Company is a publicly traded company with 1,300 employees and one billion USD market capitalization...
with flights to and from Orlando Sanford International AirportOrlando Sanford International AirportOrlando-Sanford International Airport is a public commercial air service airport in Sanford, Florida, near Orlando. It was originally constructed as a military installation known as Naval Air Station Sanford that was in operation as a Master Jet Base for carrier-based attack and reconnaissance...
and CapeAir with flights to and from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall AirportBaltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall AirportBaltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is an international airport serving the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area in the United States. It is commonly called BWI, BWI Airport or BWI Marshall, BWI being an initialism for "Baltimore/Washington International" and the...
. Alternatively, Washington Dulles International AirportWashington Dulles International AirportWashington Dulles International Airport is a public airport in Dulles, Virginia, 26 miles west of downtown Washington, D.C. The airport serves the Baltimore-Washington-Northern Virginia metropolitan area centered on the District of Columbia. It is named after John Foster Dulles, Secretary of...
, Washington National Airport, Baltimore-Washington Airport, and Harrisburg International AirportHarrisburg International Airport-Statistics:-Air cargo:Harrisburg International Airport is well positioned with freight-forwarding capabilities. The airport is located adjacent to I-76 , I-83, and I-81, allowing for fast air-to-ground transfer of goods and commodities...
offer more extensive flight destinations and are all within 60 miles (96.6 km) to 75 miles (120.7 km) of Hagerstown. - Despite being at the crossroads of CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Winchester and Western railroads, there is no passenger rail service in Hagerstown. Martinsburg, WV offers AmtrakAmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and MARC TrainMARC TrainMARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
service to Union StationUnion Station (Washington, D.C.)Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
in Washington, D.C. while Frederick offers MARC commuter rail service as well.
Utilities
- Electricity within the city is distributed at cost by Hagerstown Light Department, a municipal electric utility. Outside the city limits, electricity is provided by Potomac Edison, a regional subsidiary of Allegheny Power, which itself is a division of Allegheny EnergyAllegheny EnergyAllegheny Energy is an electric utility headquartered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It owns and operates electric generation facilities and delivers electric services to customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia...
. - Columbia Gas of Maryland, Inc., a subsidiary of NiSourceNiSourceNiSource, Inc. , based in Merrillville, Indiana, is a Fortune 500 company engaged in natural gas transmission, storage and distribution, as well as electric generation, transmission and distribution...
, services the area with natural gas. - The city's water supply is provided by City of Hagerstown Water & Sewer Department with public drainage at Antietam Drainage Basin.
- Hagerstown-based Antietam Cable, a subsidiary of Schurz CommunicationsSchurz CommunicationsSchurz Communications is a South Bend, Indiana-based radio, television, cable tv and newspaper media group.-Cable Television Systems:*Antietam Cable, Hagerstown, Maryland *Advanced Cable Communications, Coral Springs, Florida...
, provides the area's cable television. - Landline phone service in Hagerstown is provided by Verizon.
Culture
Historical sites
Hagerstown's location at the center of the Western Maryland region makes it an ideal starting point for touring, especially with respect to the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Antietam National Battlefield
Antietam National Battlefield
Antietam National Battlefield is a National Park Service protected area along Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland which commemorates the American Civil War Battle of Antietam that occurred on September 17, 1862...
, the site of the bloodiest single day in American history, is located in nearby Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg, Maryland
Sharpsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, approximately south of Hagerstown. The population was 691 at the 2000 census....
. South Mountain State Battlefield
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
is also located in Washington County in Boonsboro
Boonsboro, Maryland
Boonsboro is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, located at the foot of South Mountain. It nearly borders Frederick County and is proximate to the Antietam National Battlefield...
. Gettysburg
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
, Monocacy
Monocacy National Battlefield
Monocacy National Battlefield is a unit of the National Park Service, the site of the Battle of Monocacy Junction in the American Civil War fought on July 9, 1864. The battlefield straddles the Monocacy River southwest of the city of Frederick, Maryland. The battle, labeled "The Battle That Saved...
, and Harpers Ferry
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The park includes land in Jefferson County, West Virginia; Washington County, Maryland and Loudoun County, Virginia. The park is managed by the...
battlefields are all located within a 30 minute drive of Hagerstown.
Fort Frederick State Park
Fort Frederick State Park
Fort Frederick State Park is a Maryland state park surrounding the restored Fort Frederick, a fort from the French and Indian War and American Revolutionary War. The park is south of the town of Big Pool on the Potomac River; the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal runs through the park grounds...
, which features a restored fort used in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, is west of the city in nearby Big Pool, Maryland
Big Pool, Maryland
Big Pool is an unincorporated community in western Washington County, Maryland, United States. It is between Clear Spring, Maryland and Hancock, Maryland along U.S. Route 40 and is officially a part of the Hagerstown Metropolitan Area....
.
Washington Monument State Park near Boonsboro pays tribute to the country's first president, George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
. It is the oldest structure to honor the 'father of our country.'
Hagerstown is also home to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
Headquarters.
The city also has a number of sites and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Maryland
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Maryland.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington County, Maryland, United States...
.
Parks and museums
Within the city, there are numerous parks including Hagerstown City ParkHagerstown City Park
Hagerstown City Park is a public urban park just southwest of the central business district of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The park is located at the junction of Virginia Avenue, Key Street, Walnut Street, Prospect Street, and Memorial Boulevard....
, which is home to the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts
Washington County Museum of Fine Arts is an art museum located in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The building is located off Park Circle and serves as a centerpiece in Hagerstown City Park. The museum was donated in 1929 by Mr. and Mrs. William Singer, Jr. It was completed in 1931 and two...
, Mansion House Art Gallery, Western Maryland 202 Locomotive Display and Museum
Western Maryland 202
Western Maryland 202 is a retired 4-6-2 steam locomotive displayed in City Park, Hagerstown, Maryland. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. 202 was cosmetically restored in 2008.-References:* from www.steamlocomotive.info*...
, and the Hager House and Museum (once home of Jonathan Hager
Jonathan Hager
Jonathan Hager is the founder of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. He was born in Germany and fought in the French and Indian War serving out of Fort Frederick.-History:...
, founder of Hagerstown). Outside of the Park, Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum
Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum
The Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum located at 300 South Burhans Boulevard, Hagerstown, Maryland, has exhibits relating to local railroad history and model railroads....
showcases exhibits of Hagerstown's early railroad history. Discovery Station
Discovery Station
Discovery Station, located at the corner of Summit Avenue and West Washington Street in downtown Hagerstown, Maryland, United States, is a hands-on learning environment...
, located downtown, is a hands-on science and technology museum featuring exhibits in numerous galleries and display areas, including the Hagerstown Aviation Museum.
Theater and arts
Hagerstown is home to the Maryland Theatre, a symphony house that plays host to the Maryland Symphony OrchestraMaryland Symphony Orchestra
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1982 by a small group of Washington County, Maryland civic leaders and music lovers. From its beginnings through the conclusion of its sixteenth season in 1997 - 1998, artistic leadership was provided by internationally acclaimed horn vituoso Barry...
and the annual Miss Maryland USA
Miss Maryland USA
The Miss Maryland USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Maryland in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by D&D Investments....
Beauty Pageants. The city also has the Washington County Playhouse. The new Academy Theatre Banquet & Conference Center, located downtown, houses the community theater group Potomac Playmakers. And the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Barbara Ingram School for the Arts
Barbara Ingram School for the Arts is a magnet high school that opened its doors for gifted art students in August 2009. Currently there are seven different majors: Theatre, Musical Theatre, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Dance, Literary Arts, and Visual Arts. The Literary Arts program was added...
will be opening as a magnet school
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
for gifted art students in downtown Hagerstown's arts and entertainment district.
Festivals and events
Fairgrounds Park
Fairgrounds Park
Fairgrounds Park is an open land park restored from fairgrounds located off Cleveland Avenue in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States.-Attractions:...
features recreational facilities such as the Hagerstown Ice & Sports Complex and hosts various events throughout the year like the annual Hagerstown Hispanic Festival held in mid-September.
Professional sports
Hagerstown is home to the Hagerstown SunsHagerstown Suns
The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans....
minor-league baseball team. The Suns play in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
and are a Class A
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
affiliate of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. They play in Municipal Stadium
Municipal Stadium (Hagerstown)
Municipal Stadium is a stadium in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. It is primarily used for baseball, and is the home field of the Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball team. It was built in 1931 in a short time period of six weeks. It holds 4,600 people which is the smallest capacity in the...
.
To the west of the city lies Hagerstown Speedway, a nationally known dirt-track racing venue. Another professional racing track, Mason-Dixon Dragway, is located just southeast of Hagerstown.
- The Herald-MailHerald MailThe Herald-Mail is the Tri-State Area's newspaper serving the cities of Hagerstown, Maryland, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and Martinsburg, West Virginia and surrounding counties of Washington in Maryland, Franklin and Fulton in Pennsylvania, and Berkeley, Jefferson, and Morgan in West...
, daily (Hagerstown-Tri State Area's newspaper of record). - Hagerstown Magazine, monthly lifestyle magazine for Washington County and surrounding communities.
- The Crossroads, seasonal e-newsletter by Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
- Smart Company, magazine for businesses in Washington and FrederickFrederick County, MarylandFrederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
counties. - Valley Revue, seasonal calendar magazine covering events in the Cumberland Valley, Shenandoah ValleyShenandoah ValleyThe Shenandoah Valley is both a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the eastern front of the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians , to the north by the Potomac River...
, and beyond. - J. Gruber's Hagers-Town Town and Country Almanack, America's second-oldest continuously published periodical which has gained worldwide fame for its remarkable accuracy in weather predictions. It is distributed in many True Value and Orgill hardware stores throughout the country.
- Review and Herald Publishing AssociationReview and Herald Publishing AssociationThe Review and Herald Publishing Association is one of two major Seventh-day Adventist publishing houses in North America and is the oldest institution of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The organization publishes books, magazines, study guides, CDs, videos and games for Adventist churches,...
, one of two North American publishing giants for the Seventh Day Adventist Church. - The Franklin Shopper, weekly advertiser.
- Picket News, weekly community interest news for the Tri-State Area.
Radio
Hagerstown shares a radio market, the 166th largest in the United States, with Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and Waynesboro, PennsylvaniaWaynesboro, Pennsylvania
Waynesboro is a borough in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, located northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, 67 miles southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and north of the Mason-Dixon Line. The population within the borough limits was 9,614 at the 2000 census. When combined with the surrounding...
. The following box contains all of the radio stations in the area:
Television
Hagerstown is the base for four television stations and shares a Designated Market AreaMedia market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
, the ninth largest in the United States, with Washington, D.C.
- WHAG-TVWHAG-TVWHAG-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Hagerstown, Maryland. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Fairview Mountain west of Clear Spring. Owned by the Nexstar Broadcasting Group, the station has studios in the Alexander House Hotel on...
25 (NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
)
- WWPB 31 (MPTMaryland Public TelevisionMaryland Public Television is a non-profit, state-licensed Public Broadcasting Service non-commercial educational public television state network which serves U.S. state of Maryland. Its six transmitters cover nearly all of the state, plus Washington, D.C...
/PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
)
- WWPXWWPXWWPX-TV is the Ion Television affiliate licensed to Martinsburg, West Virginia, and serving the northwestern portion of the Washington, DC television market. The station is owned by ION Media Networks, and broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 12, displayed as virtual channel 60...
60 (ION)
- WJALWJALWJAL, "Family 68", is an independent television station serving Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. It is one of only six English-language stations owned by Entravision, a company better known for its ownership of Spanish-language stations across the United States.Despite being...
68 (IndIndependent stationAn independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
)
High schools
Public high schools(Administered by Washington County Public Schools
Washington County Public Schools
Washington County Public Schools is a public school system run for the residents of Washington County, Maryland, United States. The central offices of WCPS are collectively known as the Washington County Board of Education which is located on 820 Commonwealth Ave. in Hagerstown. In June 2011, Dr....
)
- Antietam AcademyAntietam AcademyAntietam Academy is a public high school and middle school in Hagerstown, Washington County, Maryland, United States. The school consists of an alternative program specializing in behavioral as well as academic disciplines for students in grades 6-10. It was formally renamed in 2003 after being...
- Barbara Ingram School for the ArtsBarbara Ingram School for the ArtsBarbara Ingram School for the Arts is a magnet high school that opened its doors for gifted art students in August 2009. Currently there are seven different majors: Theatre, Musical Theatre, Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, Dance, Literary Arts, and Visual Arts. The Literary Arts program was added...
- Evening High SchoolEvening High SchoolEvening High School, or Evening High , is a public high school located just inside the southern city limits of Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The school is housed within a facility that also contains Washington County Technical High School. Evening High serves adult students who wish to...
- North Hagerstown High SchoolNorth Hagerstown High SchoolNorth Hagerstown High School is located at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The current principal is Valerie Novak, a former principal of Northern Middle School. The school's colors are red, white, and black. The school is part of the Washington County Public...
- South Hagerstown High SchoolSouth Hagerstown High SchoolSouth Hagerstown High School is located at 1101 South Potomac Street, in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The current principal is Richard Akers. The school is part of the Washington County Public Schools system. It enrolls 1280 Students and School day is 8:45 to 3:30. The size is 163,959...
- Washington County Technical High SchoolWashington County Technical High SchoolWashington County Technical High School is a public school offering technology-related and general classes for students in 11th and 12th grades. The school building is located on a tract of land with several schools including South Hagerstown High School. This area lies near the southern city...
In addition, many Hagerstown students attend the following:
- Boonsboro High SchoolBoonsboro High SchoolBoonsboro High School is a public high school in Boonsboro, Washington County, Maryland, United States. The present school building was created in 1958 and renovated in 1975-76, 2006...
, BoonsboroBoonsboro, MarylandBoonsboro is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, located at the foot of South Mountain. It nearly borders Frederick County and is proximate to the Antietam National Battlefield... - Clear Spring High SchoolClear Spring High SchoolClear Spring High School is a high school in Eureka Springs, Carroll County, Arkansas. It is part of a wider school called the Clear Spring School, which includes pre-school through grade 8.-History:...
, Clear SpringClear Spring, MarylandClear Spring is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 461 as of the 2008 United States Census Bureau estimates.-Geography:Clear Spring is located at .... - Smithsburg High SchoolSmithsburg High SchoolSmithsburg High School was constructed in 1965 on 66 North Main Street in the town of Smithsburg, Maryland, United States. The school is part of the Washington County Public Schools system. Its current principal is Karim Shortridge. The School Day is 8:45 a.m...
, SmithsburgSmithsburg, MarylandSmithsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. Its population was 2,146 at the 2000 census and latest 2008 estimates are at 2,908. Smithsburg is close to Fort Ritchie army base and just west of the presidential retreat Camp David.... - Williamsport High SchoolWilliamsport High SchoolWilliamsport High School is a public high school in Williamsport, Washington County, Maryland, United States.-Notable alumni:* Nick Adenhart, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim starting pitcher* Gina Marie Groh, Judge-External links:*...
, WilliamsportWilliamsport, MarylandWilliamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,278 as of July 2008.-Geography: Williamsport is located at ....
Private high schools
- Broadfording Christian Academy
- Emmanuel Christian School
- Gateway Academy
- Grace Academy
- Heritage Academy
- Highland View AcademyHighland View AcademyHighland View Academy is a private co-educational secondary boarding school located in Hagerstown, Maryland in the United States, and run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools -History:...
- St. James SchoolSt. James School, MarylandSaint James School is an independent, secondary, boarding and day school. Founded in 1842 as the College of Saint James, The school is a coeducational college preparatory school.-Mission statement:...
- Truth Christian Academy
- St. Maria Goretti High SchoolSt. Maria Goretti High SchoolSaint Maria Goretti High School is a private, Roman Catholic day school located in Hagerstown, MD. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, within the tri-state areas of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Western Maryland, and Southern Pennsylvania.- Who and where :Saint...
Colleges and universities
- Antietam Bible College, Biblical Seminary, and Graduate School
- Hagerstown Community CollegeHagerstown Community CollegeHagerstown Community College is a two-year public academic institution founded in 1946. The campus is located off Robinwood Drive just outside Hagerstown, Maryland in suburban Robinwood....
, 2-year public community college. - Kaplan UniversityKaplan UniversityKaplan University is the "doing business as" name of the Iowa College Acquisition Corporation, a company that owns and operates for-profit colleges...
, Hagerstown Campus, formerly known as Kaplan College and Hagerstown Business College. - Mount Saint Mary's UniversityMount Saint Mary's UniversityMount St. Mary's University, also known as The Mount, is a private, liberal arts, Catholic university in the Catoctin Mountains near Emmitsburg, Maryland. It was founded by French émigré Father John DuBois in 1808 and is the oldest independent Catholic college in the United States...
, Hagerstown Campus, offers Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees. - University System of Maryland at HagerstownUniversity System of Maryland at HagerstownEstablished in January 2005, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown is a facility located in Hagerstown, Maryland that offers upper-level undergraduate and graduate programs to residents of Hagerstown and its surrounding region....
, a regional higher education center of the University System of Maryland offering various bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in connection with other state colleges and universities in Maryland. - Vinayaka Missions America UniversityVinayaka Mission's Research Foundation, Deemed UniversityVinayaka Missions University , is a higher education institution based in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India.-History:Vinayaka Missions had its inception in the year 1981 with the establishment of the Thirumuruga Kirupananda Variyar Thavathiru Sundara Swamigal Medical Educational and Charitable Trust. Not...
, India-based university with campuses throughout the world recently establishing its first American campus in Hagerstown.
Notable residents and natives
- See People from Hagerstown.
Sister cities and municipal partnerships
-
WeselWeselWesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(since 10 March 1952) -
HagerstownHagerstown, IndianaHagerstown is a town in Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,787.-Geography:Hagerstown is located at ....
, IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, U.S.United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(unofficial)
Metropolitan area
Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA consists of three counties:- Washington County, MarylandWashington County, MarylandWashington County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering southern Pennsylvania to the north, northern Virginia to the south, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to the south and west. As of the 2010 Census, its population is 147,430...
- Berkeley County, West VirginiaBerkeley County, West VirginiaBerkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
- Morgan County, West VirginiaMorgan County, West VirginiaMorgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, it's population was 17,541. Its county seat is Berkeley Springs. The county is one of three in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area...
The Primary Cities are Hagerstown, MD and Martinsburg, WV. Other communities in the MSA include: Halfway, MD
Halfway, Maryland
Halfway is a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 10,065 at the 2000 census. It is named for being halfway between Hagerstown and Williamsport...
, Paramount-Long Meadow, MD
Paramount-Long Meadow, Maryland
Paramount-Long Meadow is a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,722 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paramount-Long Meadow is located at ....
, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, MD
Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, Maryland
Fountainhead-Orchard Hills is a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, USA. The population was 3,844 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Fountainhead-Orchard Hills is located at ....
, Robinwood, MD
Robinwood, Maryland
Robinwood is a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,731 at the 2000 census. It is a part of the Hagerstown Metropolitan Area...
, Maugansville, MD
Maugansville, Maryland
Maugansville is a census-designated place in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,295 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Maugansville is located at ....
, Boonsboro, MD
Boonsboro, Maryland
Boonsboro is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, located at the foot of South Mountain. It nearly borders Frederick County and is proximate to the Antietam National Battlefield...
, Smithsburg, MD
Smithsburg, Maryland
Smithsburg is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. Its population was 2,146 at the 2000 census and latest 2008 estimates are at 2,908. Smithsburg is close to Fort Ritchie army base and just west of the presidential retreat Camp David....
, Williamsport, MD
Williamsport, Maryland
Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,278 as of July 2008.-Geography: Williamsport is located at ....
, Falling Waters, WV
Falling Waters, West Virginia
Falling Waters is an unincorporated census-designated place on the Potomac River in Berkeley County, West Virginia. It is located along Williamsport Pike north of Martinsburg. According to the 2010 census, Falling Waters has a population of 876....
, Hedgesville, WV
Hedgesville, West Virginia
Hedgesville is a town in Berkeley County in the U.S. state of West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle. The population was 240 at the 2000 census. The Town of Hedgesville was laid out in 1832 along the old Warm Springs Road and named for the prominent local Hedges family...
, Inwood, WV
Inwood, West Virginia
Inwood is a census-designated place in Berkeley County, West Virginia, United States, located south of Martinsburg. The population was 2,954 at the 2010 census. It is located on U.S...
and Berkeley Springs, WV
Bath (Berkeley Springs), West Virginia
Bath is a town in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Morgan County. The town is incorporated as Bath, but it is often referred to by the name of its post office, Berkeley Springs. The population of the town was 663 according to the 2000 United States...
.
The metropolitan area's population in 2000 was 222,771. The 2008 estimate is 263,753, making Greater Hagerstown the 169th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The growth rate from 2000-2008 is +18.4%, the 48th highest among metropolitan areas in the entire country and the highest in Maryland (and in West Virginia). The growth is mostly due to the influx of people from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD.
External links
- City of Hagerstown website
- Hagerstown-Washington County Convention & Visitor's Bureau
- Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce
- Hagerstown Downtown Directory
- Maryland Online Encyclopedia Hagerstown
- WHILBR - Western Maryland's Historical Library
- Washington County Free Library - Historic Newspaper Indexing Project