Explore Frederick County's Remarkable History at Heritage Frederick

Whether you are visiting Frederick County for the first time or have multi-generational roots here, Heritage Frederick's Museum of Frederick County History is your home for discovering the significant and diverse history of our community.

Entrance to the Museum of Frederick County History is FREE through December 14, 2024!

In the new exhibit Brushes with History: Inspiring the Personality of Frederick, works of local visual artists spanning three centuries are on view. See original pieces by Florence Doub, a pioneer art educator who inspired a generation of visual artists to capture Frederick County’s landscapes and historical landmarks.

Among her students was the prolific artist Helen Smith who opened her own studio as a single woman in the 1920s in Downtown Frederick. Her “Palette Shop” studio has been recreated in the exhibit.

The works of a dozen more artists, including Frederick-born fashion designer Claire McCardell, are also displayed in the final gallery of the exhibit.

Discover more Frederick County stories in a series of exhibits on the second floor. One exhibit explores the history of the building in which the Museum of Frederick County History is housed and the lives of its owners and the enslaved people who worked and resided on the property. Learn about the building’s use as a home for orphaned girls between 1882 and 1956.

A gallery of decorative arts features furniture, ceramics, metalware, glass, textiles, and clocks all made in Frederick County between 1760 and 1945. Another exhibit features over one hundred historic photographs depicting Frederick County families and communities.

In Etchison Connections, explore the century of Frederick’s growth and development after the Civil War through three generations of a local family and their associated neighbors, friends, and business partners. This exhibit features the fantastic collection of Frederick County artwork and antiques donated to Heritage Frederick by Marshall Etchison in 1960.

In a special display which is only on view for this year, see two portraits of E. Frederick and Anna Klein painted by Joshua Johnson, the first known Black portrait artist in the United States. Originally residents of Baltimore and neighbors of Johnson, the Kleins later moved to Frederick County where the portraits descended through their family for five generations before they were donated to Heritage Frederick.

When you visit the Museum of Frederick County History, be sure to view the Heritage Garden, located just behind the museum. This peaceful, secluded garden features a variety of native plantings, sculpture, historic artifacts, and spaces to sit or enjoy lunch.

Founded in 1892, Heritage Frederick preserves the material culture, artifacts, documents, photographs, and other ephemera from local families and communities reaching back to the founding of the county in 1748. Discover this rich and varied heritage at the Museum of Frederick County History, located at 24 East Church Street in historic Downtown Frederick. Learn more by visiting our website at www.frederickhistory.org.

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