Walking Tour: Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Hagerstown

Tue, 12 Feb, 2019 at 04:00 pm to Fri, 10 Apr, 2026 at 11:30 am UTC-05:00

Cannon Coffee | Hagerstown

Lost History Associates
Publisher/HostLost History Associates
Walking Tour: Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Hagerstown
Advertisement
Learn about the lost history of the visit of Frederick Douglass to Hagerstown, Maryland and his many friendships with native Hagertonians.
About this Event

In 1879 United States Marshal Frederick Douglass traveled the rails to “Hub City," delivering an address at the Washington County Courthouse to benefit the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Future United States Representative and United States Senator, Hagerstonian Louis E. McComas introduced Douglass, who was greeted and escorted through town by the famous Moxley Band.

Learn more about the Hagerstown and Washington County connections to Frederick Douglass from "fugitive blacksmith" Rev. James Pennington to radical abolitionist John Brown to legislator John Francis Wheaton and lifelong friend Henry O. Wagoner.

Tour will include past and present sites from the Washington House to the Washington County Courthouse to Historic Jonathan Street and conclude at Ebenezer AME Church.

Meet outside of Cannon Coffee in downtown Hagerstown near the corner of Washington and Potomac Streets.

Available street parking. Total walking distance is two miles. Family and dog friendly.

---

Tour will be led by local historian and author John Muller, author of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia and Mark Twain in Washington, D.C.: The Adventures of a Capital Correspondent.

Muller has presented widely throughout the DC-Baltimore metropolitan area at venues including the Library of Congress, Newseum, Politics and Prose, American Library in Paris and local universities. He is currently working on a book about the lost history of Frederick Douglass on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

He has presented “The Lost History of Frederick Douglass in Western Maryland” at various venues such as the Washington County Central Library in Hagerstown, Ebenezer AME Church (Hagerstown) and Frostburg State University as well as presenting the “Lost History: Frederick (Bailey) Douglass in Baltimore” at the Enoch Pratt Central Library in Baltimore City.

Muller has been featured on C-SPAN’s BookTV and C-SPAN’s American History TV, as well as in the pages of the Baltimore Sun, Cumberland Times-News, Spirit of Jefferson, Star Democrat, Washington Post , the television airwaves of WDVM (Hagerstown) NBC4 (Washington), WJLA (Washington), WMAR-2 (Baltimore), WBAL-TV (Baltimore), ABC-47 (Eastern Shore) and local radio stations WPFW, WAMU, WYPR, WEAA, Delmarva Public Radio and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

==============

For more information about events and activities in Washington County and Hagerstown visit:

Civil War Heritage Area -> http://www.heartofthecivilwar.org/

Visit Hagerstown -> http://www.visithagerstown.com/

Washington County Museum of Fine Arts -> http://www.wcmfa.org

Harper's Ferry National Historic Park -> https://www.nps.gov/hafe/index.htm

Gathland State Park -> https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/western/gathland.aspx

Western Maryland Room - Washington County Free Library -> https://www.washcolibrary.org/wmr

Advertisement

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Cannon Coffee, 2 South Potomac Street, Hagerstown, United States

Tickets

USD 0.00 to USD 15.95

Icon
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

Ask AI if this event suits you:

More Events in Hagerstown

Ceramic Painting Workshop!
Sat, 28 Feb at 04:00 pm Ceramic Painting Workshop!

15 W Washington St, Hagerstown MD 21740

Full Moon Ritual
Sat, 28 Feb at 06:30 pm Full Moon Ritual

25 E. Oak Ridge Dr., Hagerstown, MD

176ers Dueling Pianos @ Antietam Brewery
Sat, 28 Feb at 07:00 pm 176ers Dueling Pianos @ Antietam Brewery

Antietam Brewery

MotorSmoke at Zach Greenlee's Fireside Restaurant and Lounge
Sat, 28 Feb at 07:00 pm MotorSmoke at Zach Greenlee's Fireside Restaurant and Lounge

Zach Greenlee’s Fireside Restaurant & Lounge

Quick Shift at The Hub Pub
Sat, 28 Feb at 08:00 pm Quick Shift at The Hub Pub

The Hub Pub

7 Bridges: The Ultimate EAGLES Experience
Sat, 28 Feb at 08:00 pm 7 Bridges: The Ultimate EAGLES Experience

Live At Hub City Vinyl

Empty and Filled - Worship Service
Sun, 01 Mar at 10:00 am Empty and Filled - Worship Service

1345 Potomac Avenue, Hagerstown, MD, United States, Maryland 21742

Discover FCC
Sun, 01 Mar at 11:15 am Discover FCC

1345 Potomac Avenue, Hagerstown, MD, United States, Maryland 21742

Major League Try Outs
Sun, 01 Mar at 01:00 pm Major League Try Outs

601 Northern Ave. , Hagerstown, MD, United States, Maryland 21742

Puzzle Tournament
Sun, 01 Mar at 01:00 pm Puzzle Tournament

17301 Valley Mall Rd. Suite 416, Hagerstown, MD, United States, Maryland 21740

Open Arms Preschool Open House
Sun, 01 Mar at 01:00 pm Open Arms Preschool Open House

17906 Garden Ln, Hagerstown, MD, United States, Maryland 21740

Pool Roll Session at Hagerstown YMCA
Sun, 01 Mar at 03:30 pm Pool Roll Session at Hagerstown YMCA

YMCA of Hagerstown

Hagerstown is Happening!

Never miss your favorite happenings again!

Explore Hagerstown Events