Made famous by the Whittier's poem about Dame Barbara Fritchie's patriotism, the spires of Frederick have stood to remind all of us of the part of the city has played in the history of our country - as a crossroads of history and as a mirror reflecting events elsewhere. Many of today's spires were built in the decade prior to the Civil War or before, when Frederick City was already over 100 years old!
Although the formal beginnings of the city are traced to the laying out of Frederick Town and its settlement in 1745, there were settlers who arrived in the area prior to this. It was in 1725 that Benjamin Tasker patented "Tasker's Chance" - the first of many land speculators in the area. Daniel Dulany laid out the new town hoping to develop a center of trade and a market for goods imported from England. It was not difficult to recruit families in Europe willing to try their luck in a new land.
John Thomas Schley arrived in Frederick Town in 1745 with a group of 100 settlers and built the first house here. Others quickly followed and the town prospered. From the beginning religion played a large part in the life of the town, and three churches, the Lutheran, Anglican, and Reformed (founded by Schley) were firmly established. It was not long before temporary housing gave way to more permanent buildings, and businesses serving the citizens were established. The County of Frederick was founded in 1748.
The opening of more western lands found Frederick in a critical spot for launching an expedition led by General Edward Braddock. He, the young Colonel George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin met in Frederick to plan the march westward to attempt the capture of Fort Duquesne from the French. General Braddock never made it to his goal, and his troops were defeated.
Through these early years there developed much unrest in the colonies over the way England was treating the people of the new lands. The first act of rebellion occurred in Frederick - the defiance of the hated Stamp Act by Twelve Immortal Judges and the hanging of the tax collector in effigy.
M eanwhile Frederick was growing. Many houses and buildings we can see today were erected prior to 1800.
Although Frederick saw no military action during the Revolution, it did supply troops and equipment for the conflict. One notable patriot was Thomas Johnson, a good friend of George Washington, who served as Maryland’s first elected governor.
Dependence by the area’s earliest settlers on slave labor in agriculture and industry was an important factor in the development of both city and county up until the time of the Civil War. Slaves of unmixed genetic heritage with ironmaking skills designed and then labored in manufactories such as Catoctin Furnace, turning out products for home, farm and government, including Revolutionary War cannonballs.
The post-revolutionary years were marked with great progress as the new country developed into a world power. Frederick’s development was no exception. It provided a starting place for the careers of Francis Scott Key and Roger Brooke Taney, who were brothers-in-law, and who spent their early years as lawyers here.
The National Road was opened in 1808, providing a great gateway between east and west for trade and travel. Banks were established, businesses thrived along Carroll Creek, a water system was developed, and primitive street lighting was instituted. The coming of the railroad and establishment of the C & O Canal, both begun July 4, 1828, were boosts to the economy and links to the outside world.
Events leading to the Civil War, and the war itself, touched Frederick deeply. It was here that the Maryland Legislature met when it was decided the state would not secede from the Union. The city was a natural crossroads for troop movements. Frederick residents were pressed many times to provide supplies for troops, and many families in the city as well as the state were divided in their loyalties. The Battle of the Monocacy south of town saved Washington from being taken by the Confederate Army.
The period following the war was marked by several great economic depressions and crises. There was little population growth during this period, but toward the end of the century there was a business upsurge with the founding of several diverse businesses. Today we recognize century-old businesses still in operation--the Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company (Frederick News-Post), Marken and Bielfeld, Frederick Brick Works, and Landis Jewelry Store. Hood College was founded in 1893; the Maryland School for the Deaf had been founded in 1868. In public education, Boys’ High School and Girls’ High School, later to merge into Frederick High School, were opened in the 1890’s.
Electricity came to Frederick in 1888 first as street lights, and then into homes. Ten years later a trolley system was operating.
There was an awakened interest in history when the Centennial of the United States was observed in 1876. The Historical Society of Frederick was organized in 1888. The citizens erected the monument to Francis Scott Key in Mount Olivet Cemetery in 1898.
Up until World War I Frederick was still the center of a farming community and location for agricultural trade and pursuits. The national ups and downs of the 1920’s and the Great Depression of the ‘30’s were reflected in Frederick. The development of Baker Park was begun about 1927.
World War II began the changing of the face of Frederick. Most notably was the establishment of Fort Detrick, a center of biological warfare research. Today it is well-known as a biological technology center.
Following World War II business changed drastically. Many small manufacturing plants were sold or closed. The building of the interstate roads system, begun in 1956, has brought a new phenomenon--commuters to jobs in other cities. Growth in residential areas has continued in an unprecedented way.
Retailing, as in many cities, has been altered. Frederick Shopping Center on West Seventh Street was opened in 1957; other malls followed. The great flood of Carroll Creek, described as a 100-year-flood, was a contributing factor in the decline of the downtown business area. The flood control project, nearing completion, is designed to alleviate future devastating deluges, and also provide a boost to the oldest section of the city.
With the coming of newer residents has come new ideas, and with the cooperation of longtime citizens there has been a cultural revival. The Weinberg Center for the Arts and the Delaplaine Center for the Visual Arts are rallying places for local talent and nationally known artists. The Keys baseball team makes news every year.
Frederick, as Maryland’s second largest city, has a bright future with its expanding economy and stable quality of life. The Clustered Spires still inspire an appreciation of the past while looking ahead to a changing world.
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Bob Carney, ABR, ePRO
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Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc
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