Hagerstown, Maryland Totally Explained

Everything about Hagerstown Maryland totally explained

Hagerstown is the county seat of Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population of the city proper as of a 2006 estimate by the United States Census Bureau is 39,008, and the total 2000 Urbanized Area population is 120,326 (~80,000 in MD). It is Western Maryland's largest city. Hagerstown is also Maryland's sixth largest city, but if the urban area was incorporated, it would be Maryland's second-most populous city.
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 2000 was 222,771 and the 2007 estimate is 261,198 (U.S. Rank 170). Greater Hagerstown is the fastest growing metropolitan area in the State of Maryland and among the fastest growing in the United States.
Hagerstown, due to the large number of roads and other transit that cross in the city, is known as the Hub City. The nickname may also be applied to Hagerstown's status as the commercial and industrial hub for the Tri-State Area which includes much of Western Maryland, South Central Pennsylvania, and the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

History

Founding

Hagerstown was founded in 1762 by Jonathan Hager, a volunteer Captain of Scouts during the French and Indian War. Hager has been called the "Father of Washington County" due to Hager having laid the groundwork for its separation from Frederick County, Maryland in 1776 and the subsequent creation of Hagerstown as the county seat.

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 War.
   In 1861, General Robert Patterson’s troops used Hagerstown as a base to attack Virginia Rebels in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
   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 General Lee’s army invaded and retreated at the Gettysburg Campaign.
   In 1864, Hagerstown was invaded by the Confederate Army under General Jubal Early. On Wednesday, July 6, Early sent 1,500 cavalry, commanded by Brigadier-General 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, and instead only collected $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 took care of 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 from returning soldiers to their 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-enter Southern 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 were re-entered in Washington Confederate Cemetery and in 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 Railway 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 Railroads.
Hagerstown was formerly served by the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, an interurban trolley system, from 1896 to 1947.

Little Heiskell

One of the most recognizable symbols of the city of Hagerstown is the weathervane known as "Little Heiskell." Named after the German tinsmith who crafted it in 1796, 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 American Civil War era, the weathervane gained its characteristic bullet hole from a Confederate sharpshooter.
   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.

Aviation heritage

From 1931 to 1984, Fairchild Aircraft was based in Hagerstown, Maryland 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 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. However, 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 buyouts, 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. Three notable names include Northrop Grumman California Microwaves, which manufactures airline equipment in its Hagerstown facility, Fugro EarthData, which maintains its aviation division in Hagerstown, and Sierra Nevada Corporation, a defense electronics engineering and manufacturing contractor.

Geography

Location and topography

Hagerstown is located at (39.642771, -77.719954).
The city is approximately 70 miles (112 km) northwest of Washington, District of Columbia, 72 miles (115 km) west-northwest of Baltimore, Maryland, and 74 miles (118 km) southwest of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Hagerstown is located south of the Mason-Dixon Line and north of the Potomac River 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. Natural landscape around Hagerstown consists of low, rolling hills with elevations of 500-800 feet above sea level and rich, fertile land that's well-suited for farming that's typical of Mid-Atlantic states.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.7 square miles (27.6 km²), of which, 10.7 square miles (27.6 km²) of it's land and 0.09% is water. Major waterways within Hagerstown include Hamilton Run and Antietam Creek that are tributaries of the Potomac River.

Climate

Hagerstown is situated in the transition between the humid subtropical climate zone and the humid continental climate zone (Köppen Dfa), with hot, humid summers and moderately cold winters.

Demographics

   As of the U.S. census of 2000, there were 36,687 people, 15,849 households, and 9,081 families residing in the city. A July 2006 estimate shows Hagerstown having 39,008 people, an increase of 6.3% from the year 2000.
   For Census 2000, 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/sq mi (619.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 85.95% White, 10.15% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.96% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.77% of the population. 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.

Government

Mayor

The current mayor of Hagerstown is Robert "Bob" E. Bruchey II.

Representative body

The representative body of Hagerstown is known as the City Council. Among its members are: Martin E. Brubaker, Kelly S. Cromer, Lewis C. Metzner, Penny May Nigh, and Alesia Parson-McBean.

Other representation

Donald F. Munson 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 town, 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 shines in the local economy.

Major companies

(*=corporate headquarters in area)

Citigroup
Phoenix Color*
Fugro EarthData
FedEx Ground
Unilever "Heartbrand" Ice Cream
Volvo Powertrain
First Data
Review & Herald Publishing*
Sealy
Macro Retail*
Staples
Sierra Nevada
Maryland Paper*
Lenox
JLG Industries
Brethren Mutual Insurance*
Susquehanna Bank
NetConn Solutions*
RadioShack
Intelsat
Horizon Goodwill Industries*
Bowman Development*
Northrop Grumman California Microwaves
Wolters Kluwer Health

Healthcare

Brook Lane Psychiatric Center

Washington County Hospital

Western Maryland Hospital Center

Shopping

Hagerstown-Washington County boasts one of the highest densities of retail in the country.
Hagerstown has 2 major shopping malls:

Valley Mall, anchored by Macy's, JCPenney, Sears, The Bon-Ton, Old Navy, Toys R Us, and Regal Cinemas 16.

Prime Outlets Hagerstown

, a 100+ store outlet mall which attracts visitors from Washington and Baltimore as well as nearby counties. Other significant shopping centers/areas include:

Garland Groh Blvd.- Wal-Mart Supercenter, Home Depot, Dick's Sporting Goods, Circuit City, PetSmart, Pier 1 Imports, Bed Bath and Beyond, Office Max, Marshalls, A.C. Moore, Border's Books and Music, Five Below, and Best Buy.

Wesel Blvd./Halfway Blvd./Massey Blvd./Cole Rd.- Kmart, Ollie's Bargain Outlet, Tractor Supply, Wonder Book & Video, Staples, Value City Furniture, Furniture & More, Sam's Club, Office Depot, Lowe's, Petco, David's Bridal, Michael's Craft, Target, and Kohl's.

South End/Town Center- Aaron's, Jo-Ann Fabrics, Big Lots, and Tuesday Morning.

Longmeadow/Leitersburg Pike- Ashley Furniture, PA Dutch Market, Lowe's, and Hagerstown Cinemas 10.

Dual Hwy.- Home Furniture Direct, Wonder Book & Video, Super Shoes, and Reliable Furniture.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 81 (runs north to Northern New York and south to Eastern Tennessee)

Interstate 70 (runs east to Baltimore and west to Utah)

U.S. Route 40 (runs parallel to I-70)

U.S. Route 11 (runs parallel to I-81)

U.S. Route 40 Alternate (runs parallel to US 40 in Western Maryland)

Maryland Route 632

Mass transit

The County Commuter buses provide extensive transportation within the city. More limited service is available to surrounding communities in Washington County.

Miller Cabs and Turner Vans service the Hagerstown area but are usually available only upon request. Starting 16 May 2008, Downtown Taxi! offers cab service people can hail in the downtown vicinity.

Greyhound Lines and Atlantic Charter Buses provide coach bus service to major cities near and far including directly to Baltimore, Harrisburg, Richmond, and Washington.

Hagerstown Regional Airport is located approximately 5 miles due north of Hagerstown off U.S. Route 11 and Interstate 81. It is a frequent landing site for the U.S. President on the way to Camp David. The airport was commercially serviced by US Airways with 6 flights daily to and from Pittsburgh International Airport. As of 1 October 2007, this service has temporarily ceased operations. For the time being, one can use Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Harrisburg International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, or Washington National Airport, all of which are within 60-75 miles of Hagerstown.

There is no passenger rail service in Hagerstown. Martinsburg, WV offers Amtrak and MARC Train service to Union Station in Washington, D.C. while nearby Frederick, Maryland offers MARC commuter rail service as well.

Culture

Historical sites

Hagerstown's location at the center of the so-called Historic Highlands makes it an ideal starting point for touring, especially with respect to the Civil War. 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, Maryland. 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.'

Parks and museums

Within the city, there are numerous parks including Hagerstown City Park, 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 features exhibits of Hagerstown's early railroad history. Discovery Station

is a hands-on learning environment for all ages featuring science, technology, space exploration, history, geology, health, agricultural and transportation exhibits in numerous galleries and display areas, including the Hagerstown Aviation Museum

and the Betty Clopper Early Childhood Gallery. The museum is located in a historic bank building across from the Washington County Courthouse. The original bank housed the Federal Depository during the Civil War. Visitors can enter the main vault and examine its mammoth leaded glass door and mechanisms. With its white marble exterior and soaring palladium windows, the building is one of the most architecturally significant in downtown Hagerstown.
Hagerstown is also home to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Headquarters.

Theatre and arts

Hagerstown is home to the Maryland Theatre, a symphony house which plays host to the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and the annual Miss Maryland Beauty Pageant. The city also has the Washington County Playhouse

, a traditional dinner theatre. A new Barbara Ingram School for the Arts will be opening soon as a magnet school for gifted art students in Downtown Hagerstown's new Arts and Entertainment District.

Annual events

Downtown Hagerstown recently has enjoyed a resurgence and now hosts several popular annual events. The city draws thousands every year to the Western Maryland Blues Fest

, which features blues artists from around the country. The popular Augustoberfest

celebrates Hagerstown's German heritage. And the annual Alsatia Mummers' Parade happens to be the largest nighttime Halloween 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 Hagerstown's First Annual Hispanic Festival held earlier in September of 2007.

Professional sports

Hagerstown is home to the Hagerstown Suns 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.
Just outside the city to the west is Hagerstown Speedway

, a nationally known dirt-track racing venue. To the southeast of Hagerstown is Mason-Dixon Dragway

, another professional racing track.

Media

Print

The Herald-Mail, 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 Frederick counties.

Valley Revue

, seasonal calendar magazine covering events in the Cumberland Valley, Shenandoah Valley, 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 Association, 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, Pennsylvania. 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 Area, the ninth largest in the United States, with Washington, D.C. The box below contains all networks in the media market including a separate section for Hagerstown and its immediate surrounding area:

Education

High schools

Public high schools (Administered by Washington County Public Schools

)

Evening High School

North Hagerstown High School

South Hagerstown High School

Washington County Technical High School In addition, many Hagerstown students attend the following:

Boonsboro High School, Boonsboro

Clear Spring High School, Clear Spring

Smithsburg High School, Smithsburg

Williamsport High School, Williamsport

Private high schools

Broadfording Academy

Grace Academy

Heritage Academy

Highland View Academy

St. James School

Truth Christian Academy

St. Maria Goretti High School

Colleges and universities

Hagerstown Community College

Kaplan College, formerly known as Hagerstown Business College.

Mount Saint Mary's University, Hagerstown Campus, offers Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees.

University System of Maryland at Hagerstown, a branch of the University of Maryland offering various associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree programs in connection with other state colleges and universities in Maryland.

Notable residents and natives

See .

Sister cities and municipal partnerships

Wesel, Germany

Hagerstown, Indiana, U.S. (unofficial)

Metropolitan area

Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV MSA covers three counties:

Washington County, Maryland

Berkeley County, West Virginia

Morgan County, West Virginia The Primary Cities are Hagerstown, MD and Martinsburg, WV. There are many smaller populated communities like 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 2007 estimate is 261,198, making Greater Hagerstown the 170th largest metropolitan area in the United States. The growth rate from 2000-2007 is +17.2%, the 46th 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, to a lesser extent, Baltimore, MD.

Further Information

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