No, not THAT Washington Monument…

…THIS Washington Monument

Built in 1827 by the citizens of Boonsboro, MD, this 30 foot tall tower is the country’s first monument to President George Washington.  Click here to learn more.

Built atop South Mountain, just a stone throw from the South Mountain Battlefields of Turner’s and Frosttown Gaps, and just above the Washington County town of Boonsboro, a quick climb up the stairs of the monument offers a spectacular view toward Pennsylvania to the north…

…and out toward West Virginia to the south.

However, if you know just where to look, and you have yourself a good pair of binoculars, you can see a few of our favorite landmarks.

Do you see them?

Maybe this will help…

the following post first appeared on the blog of Antietam Volunteer, and Antietam Battlefield Guide candidate Jim Buchanan (Walking the West Woods) on Nov. 27, 2009.

Reunion of the 125th Pennsylvania at the Dunker Church – Sept. 17, 1888

On September 17, 1906, Thomas J. Stewart, Adjutant General of Pennsylvania,
addressed those gathered for the dedication ceremonies for the Pennsylvania
Reserves monuments at the Antietam Battlefield..

“It is a glorious thing to be here,” he told the crowd, “As long as this nation lasts the story of Antietam will be told and when these monuments have crumbled to dust, Antietam’s story will live in the greatness of your example and in the glorious deeds done on this field. As long as the wind shall blow across yonder sunken road, they will sing the requiem for the mighty dead of this field; as long as the walls of the Dunkard Church shall stand they will seem to tell the story of the awful carnage of that place. …” (1) Less than fifteen years later the walls of the Dunkard Church no longer stood.

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After the battle, the damaged church was restored and rededicated the following year. Services were resumed in it in 1864. Around 1916 the Dunkards moved to a new church location in Sharpsburg and the battlefield church was abandoned.
Over the next five years, neglect and souvenir hunters–who chipped away at the brick–left the church walls weakened.

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A heavy storm on May 23, 1921, caused the walls and roof to collapse. (3)
The furniture and some building materials including bricks were salvaged by Elmer Boyer.(4)

Dunker Church after a heavy storm in 1921

The church site was developed into a lunch room known as “Poffenberger’s Lunch Room.”

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Eventually Boyer sold the original bricks and other building material to the National Park Service in 1951. A restoration project was finally completed in 1962 through a cooperative effort between the National Park Service, the Washington County Historical Society, the State of Maryland, and the Church of the Brethren. (3)

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While the church was restored, its surroundings remained in private hands. The final photo in this series shows the Dunkard Church in 1971.

Dunker Church after reconstruction – 1971

1) Albert L. Magilton, “Report of theAntietam Battlefield Memorial Commission of Pennsylvania Ceremonies: Dedication of the Monuments Erected by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Mark the Position Of Four Regiments Of The Pennsylvania Reserves Engaged In the Battle. (Harrisburg, Pa.: Harrisburg Publishing Company, State Printer, 1908). Retrieved from: http://www.archive.org/stream/secondbrigadeofp00penn/secondbrigadeofp00penn_djvu.txt

2) “The Angle” Gettysburg Civil War Roundtable Newsletter, May/June 2009, page 3.

3) Freeman Ankrum, from Sidelights on Brethren History, (Elgin, IL: The Brethren Press, 1962), pp. 99-108. Retrieved from http://www.rockhay.org/peace/dunkerchurch/index.htm

(4) Elmer G. Boyer ran a grocery in Sharpsburg, Maryland. He resided at 142 Chapline Street with his wife and two children. (US Census, 1930).

Photos from Antietam National Battlefield Archives and Library. Courtesy NPS Ranger Alann Schmidt.

If you are planning to attend Anniversary Weekend at Antietam National Battlefield this year, one of the many fascinating displays and exhibits that you will see is the Pennsylvania Civil War Road Show.

The PA Road Show is part of a statewide initiative sponsored by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission and the Pennsylvania Heritage Society to celebrate the story and role of Pennsylvania during the Civil War.  In order to reach every corner of the state, a 53 foot, collapsible trailer was outfitted with special exhibit panels, interactive media, and audio in order to give visitors a solid overview of the Keystone state during the War.

Most visitors might be surprised to learn that Pennsylvania in the Civil War was more than just Gettysburg (blasphemy!).  In fact, one video tells the story of the disaster at the Allegheny Arsenal in Pittsburgh.  Nearly 90 civilians,  mostly women and children who were making ammunition for the Union war effort, were killed when a stray spark ignited thousands of pounds of black powder.  The date of that disaster?  September 17, 1862.  That’s right.  The same day as the Battle of Antietam, making the loss of soldier and civilian life that day truly the bloodiest day in American history.

The Road Show also contains a video booth for anyone who wishes to record a story about a Civil War ancestor, an artifact, or their personal interest in the War.  Visitors can also take “old time” pictures of themselves, and create a Civil War scrapbook as mementos of their experience.

For nearly 2 years now, the Pennsylvania Civil War Road Show has crisscrossed the state, and visited all 67 counties.  It’s trip to Antietam this month will be its first trip outside of the Keystone state.  Originally planned to tour during the entire Sesquicentennial (2011-2015), this year will mark the last year for the traveling exhibit, as crucial funding has dried up.  At the end of this year, the trailer will be taken apart and pieces of the exhibit will be on display in the State Museum in Harrisburg.  So, Anniversary Weekend at Antietam may be your last opportunity to check it out!  Look for the PA Civil War Road Show, as well Virginia’s traveling exhibit, in the parking area in front of the Antietam Visitor Center from Sept. 14 – 17.