BGuthrie Photos: MD -- Emmitsburg -- Mason Dixon Welcome Center

MD -- Emmitsburg -- Mason Dixon Welcome Center:

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Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

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Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. MASOND_160321_006.JPG: Heroes of the Fire Service
2. MASOND_160321_007.JPG: Training the Professionals, Honoring the Fallen: Emmitsburg, the town in the valley behind you, is well known to firefighters and their families across the country. On a large campus bordering Toms Creek, the United States has established facilities to help the nation prepare for and manage emergencies. Fire company officers from across the nation attend the National Fire Academy. Firefighters who have died in the line of duty are honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and Walk of Honor. Emmitsburg and Frederick County have deep roots in the fire service, with local companies forming up regiments to fight in the Civil War, and acting as first responders to John Brown's Raid on the Federal Arsenal in Harpers Ferry in 1859.
3. MASOND_160321_013.JPG: In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, 343 New York City firefighters lost their lives. The Fallen Firefighter's Walk of Honor includes a piece of bedrock from the World Trade Center site. This is a piece of that stone.
4. MASOND_160321_016.JPG: Emmmitsburg Remembers Once a victim of fire, Emmitsburg, Maryland, now helps preserve fire service history. The Frederick County Fire and Rescue Museum displays remarkable artifacts such as the "Old Lady," a hand-drawn pumper built in 1821 that still operates. The National Fire Heritage Center acquires and preserves fire service objects and documents from around the United States.
5. MASOND_160321_026.JPG: Just before the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, an accidental fire devastated the core of downtown Emmitsburg.
6. MASOND_160321_035.JPG: Heart of the Civil War
7. MASOND_160321_042.JPG: Climax at Gettysburg Waves of Confederate infantrymen make their last desperate advance against Union forces on Gettysburg's Cemetery Ridge, July 3, 1863. Note the old Emmitsburg Road and Catoctin Mountain in the background.
8. MASOND_160321_045.JPG: Unaware his unit will soon be engaged in combat with JEB Stuart's Confederate cavalry on June 29, 1863, an unidentified member of the First Delaware Cavalry sits calmly on horseback along Main Street in Westminster.
9. MASOND_160321_050.JPG: After their defeat at Gettysburg, Confederate cavalry under Gen. JEB Stuart drive captured horses through the burned-out streets of Emmitsburg.
10. MASOND_160321_053.JPG: The Gettysburg Campaign General Robert E Lee, after his victory at Chancellorsville, Virginia, in May 1863, marched up the Shenandoah Valley with a plan to invade the North. He reached Pennsylvania, spreading panic through the region. In Frederick, Maryland, on June 28, 1863 -- just three days before impending battle -- Gen. George Meade received a message from President Lincoln. Meade was to assume command of the Union Army of the Potomac, replacing Gen. Joseph Hooker. Meade led his troops north toward the Mason-Dixon Line and set up headquarters at Taneytown, Maryland, just east of here along Pipe Creek. This became the staging area for United States forces and their arms, equipment, and supplies. Meade's and Lee's forces collided at Gettysburg in an epic three-day battle. The roar of the cannons could be heard from this site. The Union army turned back the Confederate tide, and the defeated Rebels began their retreat back through Maryland to Virginia.
11. MASOND_160321_058.JPG: Crossroads of Conflict, 1862-1864 Here, in Maryland's "Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area," lies the legacy of a once-divided nation. Below the Mason-Dixon Line, yet above the Potomac River, central Maryland citizens lived in tension during the Civil War, with one foot in the North and one in the South. Troops from both sides occupied towns throughout the area, and many families faced divided loyalties. Visitors following Maryland's Civil War Trails can retrace the steps of Union and Confederate troops en route to battles at Antietam and Gettysburg. Two major battles were fought in Frederick County: South Mountain -- Antietam's critical prelude -- and Monocacy -- "the battle that saved Washington." After the fighting, many churches, barns, and homes were transformed into hospitals. The Union victory at Antietam Battlefield in September 1862 prompted President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.
12. MASOND_160321_061.JPG: National Shrines
13. MASOND_160321_074.JPG: The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton: Two hundred years ago, Elizabeth Ann Seton founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph's here, the first new community for religious women to be established in the United States. She was canonized on Sunday, September 14, 1975, in St. Peter's Square by Pope Paul VI. She is the first citizen born in the United States to be declared a saint.
14. MASOND_160321_081.JPG: The Stone House: Mother Seton established her first community of sisters in this simple house in 1809. The White House: In 1810 Mother Seton established St. Joseph's Academy here -- considered to be the cradle of Catholic education in the United States. St. Joseph's Cemetery: Sisters, priests, and Seton family members are buried in this 1809 cemetery which features a small Gothic chapel.
15. MASOND_160321_082.JPG: National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes This beautiful mountain shrine devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary attracts thousands of pilgrims each year from all over the world. It is one of the oldest American replicas of the Lourdes shrine in France, built about two decades after the apparition of Mary at Lourdes in 1858. Elizabeth Ann Seton, now an American saint, found peace on this hillside in the early 1800s. The Grotto is on the grounds of Mount Saint Mary's University. Visible for miles, the 25-foot-high statue of Virgin Mary atop the Pangborn Memorial Campanile watches over the Catoctin Valley along US 15.
16. MASOND_160321_085.JPG: Celebrating Mass in the Shrine Basilica
17. MASOND_160321_088.JPG: Mahogany woodwork and Italian marble used in constructing the Basilica of the Seton Shrine.
18. MASOND_160321_093.JPG: Pursuit of Lee's Army
19. MASOND_160321_096.JPG: Pursuing the Confederates after Gettysburg July 1863 In the historic painting above the fireplace by Edwin Forbes, Union troops slog along the road to Emmitsburg, hoping to cut off General Lee's planned escape into Virginia. Both armies had suffered terrible losses, and now they endured the soaking rain and deep mud. The Union pursuit took a southerly route toward Frederick, then turned west, in an attempt to trap Lee against a swollen Potomac River. On July 14, the high waters had subsided enough for Lee to cross the river near Williamsport, Maryland, ending the Confederacy's second invasion of the North.
20. MASOND_160321_099.JPG: Heart of The Civil War
21. MASOND_160321_110.JPG: A Triumph of Science and Endurance Mason and Dixon Running the Line West The Mason-Dixon Line is best known as the famed dividing line between the North and South. However, long before the Civil War, the King of England desired that a survey be done to settle bloody boundary disputes among the colonial provinces. No one succeeded in establishing a reliable boundary until Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon took on the challenge between 1763-1767. In the mid-1700s it was nearly impossible to lay out a 233-mile long east-west boundary line. Mason and Dixon's successful survey is considered one of the most notable scientific achievements of the age. They determined directions by observing the stars, and spent many nights tracking their movements across the skies and recording the data. The excellent boundary marked by Mason and Dixon here in 1765 has been altered little over the years.
22. MASOND_160321_112.JPG: Crownstone: Every five miles Mason and Dixon set a crownstone. This stone sits along a farmer's fence line. You can see an original crownstone in a museum exhibit at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore.
23. MASOND_160321_116.JPG: Mile Marker: At every mile along the Line the crew set stone markers with an "M" on the side facing Maryland, and a "P" on the side facing Pennsylvania. The Mason Dixon Preservation Partnership collects data on the boundary markers, and replaces missing or damaged stones.
24. MASOND_160321_118.JPG: Transit: Mason and Dixon used this transit and equal altitude instrument to determine the correct direction for their Line. In the field it would have been mounted on a tripod. Manufactured by John Bird in London, it was a pioneering instrument that also helped scientists calculate the distance from the Earth to the Sun. The transit is currently on display at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
25. MASOND_160321_128.JPG: Crownstone Full-size model You may touch with care Stone cutters in England carved the limestone boundary markers for the Mason Dixon survey. Note Lord Baltimore's (Maryland) coat of arms on the left, and William Penn's (Pennsylvania) arms on the right. Mason and Dixon set these crownstones every five miles along the line with less ornate mile markers in between. Original crownstones weighed about 500 pounds. After being unloaded from ships at Chesapeake Bay ports, they were hauled by wagon to the boundary. They are called "crownstones" for the crown that appears on the Maryland side.
26. MASOND_160321_142.JPG: Cunningham Falls Cunningham Falls State Park Thurmont, Maryland Take a short hike through the woods and greenstone boulders to see and hear Maryland's highest cascading waterfall. It's a cool place to be, especially on a hot summer day.
27. MASOND_160321_144.JPG: Catoctin Mountain Highway Emmitsburg to Point of Rocks, Maryland
28. MASOND_160321_148.JPG: Journey Through Hallowed Ground The Maryland portion of the "Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Scenic Byway" follows US 15, known in this area as the Catoctin Mountain Highway. At the heart of the Journey is they ecologically diverse Catoctin Mountain area where US presidents come to relax, and travelers enjoy a variety of heritage sites, the state's highest cascading waterfall, and abundant farms, orchards, and woodlands.
29. MASOND_160321_154.JPG: The Roddy Road Covered Bridge near Thurmont, Maryland, dates to the mid-1800s, and features a single kingpost trust design. It is believed that Confederate Gen. JEB Stuart and his cavalry crossed the bridge on July 5, 1863, following the Battle of Gettysburg.
30. MASOND_160321_164.JPG: Covered Bridge Parts Siding: Clapboard siding from the Utica Mills Bridge. Without siding and roofs, these wooden bridges would have deteriorated quickly. Bolt: Hand-forged bolt from the Utica Mills bridge (c 1840s). Blacksmiths made each and separately, then joined the pieces to make a bolt of the required length. Section of Truss: This block from the Loy's Station Bridge helped support the deck. The floorboard nail visible on the top dates to the 1920s.
31. MASOND_160321_167.JPG: Nature & History Frederick County and Statewide
32. MASOND_160321_172.JPG: View from Chimney Rock, Catoctin Mountain Park. A trail to the site begins at park headquarters.
33. MASOND_160321_175.JPG: Camp David President John F. Kennedy with his son John and daughter Caroline (on pony) at Camp David, March 31, 1963. Camp David offers US presidents opportunities for solitude, and a wonderful setting for hosting foreign leaders. It is located within Catoctin Mountain Park, but is not visible from roads, and is closed to the public.
34. MASOND_160321_178.JPG: Catoctin Mountain Park National Park Service National, state, and county parks in Maryland offer a wide range of opportunities for recreation and the enjoyment of nature and history. Here in Frederick County, Catoctin Mountain, the easternmost spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains, rises to its highest elevation of 1,877 feet at Catoctin Mountain Park near Thurmont. The adjacent Cunningham Falls State Park features a lake and the remains of an early iron furnace. Both parks offer sparkling streams and dappled hardwood forests, with trails leading to tranquil places and broad vistas.
35. MASOND_160321_187.JPG: Star-Spangled Banner United States Flag, War of 1812 Period A flag of this design flew over Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 13-14, 1814. Francis Scott Key witnessed the British bombardment of the fort, and was thrilled to see the flag still flying after the battle. He captured the emotions of that experience in "The Star-Spangled Banner," a song that became the national anthem of the United States in 1931. The original Fort McHenry flag bore 15 stars and 15 stripes, and measured 32x40 feet -- about four times larger than the one hanging above you. The original flag is preserved at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
36. MASOND_160321_189.JPG: Mason Dixon Survey
37. MASOND_160321_192.JPG: The Great Survey Mason and Dixon Running the Line West English astronomers and surveyors Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon established the boundary between the provinces of Maryland and Pennsylvania. This artist's conception shows the survey crew at work near here in August 1765. (1) Mason and Dixon confer on their astronomical data and measurements. (2) Ax men clear a 20-foot vista through the woods. (3) Chain men take precise measurements, while others use the transit to determine the correct direction. (4) Mason and Dixon used a portable observatory at night to plot star positions. (5) A man from the survey crew prepares a limestone boundary marker to set along the line.
38. MASOND_160321_200.JPG: Emmitsburg Longriﬂes The longrifle was a distinctly American weapon developed on the frontier for accuracy and distance. Produced mainly in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, it became known as the "Kentucky" rifle after a popular song commemorated its use by a regiment of Kentucky marksmen in the 1814 Battle of New Orleans. Emmitsburg gunsmiths crafted some of the finest longrifles of the 18th and 19th centuries. The work of master gunsmith John Armstrong (1772–c.1842) is especially noted for superior mechanical quality and decorative artistry.
39. MASOND_160321_210.JPG: Thurmont Gateway to the Mountain Beginning in the 1730s, German and Swiss immigrants would traverse this area, coming from eastern Pennsylvania en-route to the Shenandoah Valley. Many would settle on, and beside, Catoctin Mountain. Family farms were quick to sprout up in the mountain's shadow, and former Indian paths gave way to wagon roads. Early pioneers set about taming a howling wilderness, with religion strongly guiding daily lives on Maryland's western frontier. The mountain's bounty provided subsistence, and abundant streams enabled early industry such as milling and tanning. A host of other jobs supported the nearby Catoctin Iron Furnace, constructed in the 1770s. Around 1803-1804, John Creager began selling a series of town lots and christened the new village with the name of Mechanicstown. The Western Maryland Railway came in 1871, creating an important connection to Baltimore and towns west of the mountain. A summer cottage industry abounded, and precipitated the need for the new name of Thurmont, crudely meaning "Gateway to the Mountain." By the early 1900s, collier work, ore mining, marginal farming, and timber demand had taken their toll on the mountain. Meanwhile, the automobile slowly changed travel patterns, causing Thurmont to wane in importance as a vacation spot. Relief came in the 1930s as the Civilian Conservation Corps created camps and brought the mountain back to an earlier natural state. Thurmont's role as a tourist town returned as it has welcomed countless visitors to its mountain parklands, a list that also includes presidents, world leaders and other dignitaries.
40. MASOND_160321_219.JPG: Emmitsburg Sacred Mountain Sanctuary After playing host to native peoples for centuries, Catoctin Mountain has served home to European settlers since the 1730s. Among the first to come to what was considered "the backlands of the province," were descendants of English Catholics who had founded Maryland in 1634 and who would establish a famous religious community and schools here. Hearty settlers like William Elder found a "heavenly" setting in this picturesque landscape that would come to be known as St. Mary's Mount. Tradition says that the first mass took place in the Elder's home in 1745. Sixty years later, a French emigre named John Dubois came to this area with instructions to build a Catholic seminary on Catoctin's face. Elizabeth Ann Seton arrived shortly thereafter in 1809, creating a religious community of women and the parochial school system. In 1785, resident Samuel Emmit entered into an agreement with neighbors to sell land lots to create a market center for surrounding farmsteads. Fittingly the village would take the name of Emmitsburg and quickly became known as the most productive wheat-growing in the nation. During the American Civil War, Catoctin Mountain screened the movements of armies, while Emmitsburg served as a front line staging area and fall-back position during the nearby Battle of Gettysburg. Afterwards, many of the wounded were treated by Mother Seton's Daughters of Charity. The former St. Joseph's College is now the site of the National Fire Academy and features a national memorial dedicated to those fire and rescue professionals who lost their lives in the line of duty.
41. MASOND_160321_226.JPG: "Emmettsburg [sic], MD. Gen. Meade's Army pursuing Gen. Lee" from a sketch by Edwin Forbes, in Frank Leslie's The Soldier in Our Civil War, 1885.
42. MASOND_160321_242.JPG: Parade down Main Street (c. 1937). Emmitsburg Heritage Days and the Lions Club annual Community Day continue to exemplify town spirit.
43. MASOND_160321_256.JPG: President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill have been among the many visitors to Thurmont. In 1942, FDR chose Catoctin Mountain to serve as his presidential retreat with the creation of Shangri-La ... later to be known as Camp David.
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