Experience Historic Frederick County

Frederick County remembers. From the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park to the monuments to earlier heroes, a visit to these special sites is both moving and educational. The War Correspondents Memorial Arch, constructed in memory of War Correspondents, was recently updated to include those who lost their lives while reporting from Afghanistan and Iraq.

You’ll find the final resting places of the first American-born saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton the author of our National Anthem, Francis Scott Key. Find hundreds of years of Black history and learn more about how it shaped the Frederick community today. Hundreds of Civil War dead and veterans of every American conflict are interred and remembered here.

Displays at Catoctin Furnace Historical Society's Museum of the Ironworker

Historic structures also remind us of Frederick County’s role in American history. While some are open as museums, many others may be seen along the way as you travel through Frederick County.

Frederick County has a star spangled history that has played a role in every chapter of the American story. Our county has played host to George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and almost every other U.S. President, Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Winston Churchill.

Yet, some of the most compelling stories of our past come from the everyday experiences of early German immigrants who farmed our land, enslaved and free African Americans, civilians during wartime, and laborers in the county’s early industries. Learn about our intriguing past at our many museums and historic sites, staffed by knowledgeable curators, where you’ll gain insight into such historic specializations as architecture, genealogy, railroading, industry, religion, firefighting, and more. Driving and walking tours, available at our visitor center, give meaning and context to our rich history.