The Historic Preservation Commission was pleased to provide a tour of the Town for seven representatives from the Maryland State Archives on Monday, July 22. Maria Day, Director of Special Collections and Conservation, requested the tour for herself, staff members and student interns. Her curiosity about the Town had been piqued from her first trip here in March to collect records for transfer to the State Archives’ Special Collections.
HPC Chair Bob Booher led the walking tour, which was prefaced by a slide presentation with content ranging from historic photographs and documents to current maps showing the Town’s vulnerability to encroaching development. With a native daughter’s enthusiasm, our Records Management Officer, Marilynn Frey, offered her unique perspective and spontaneous tidbits throughout the tour.
Providing people from our State government with an opportunity for firsthand appreciation of our unique town was gratifying. Introducing the next generation, the student interns, to Washington Grove ensures continued interest. One of the interns, who is currently working on the Grove’s Camp Meeting Era collection at the State Archives, plans to incorporate the Grove’s history into her graduate work this fall at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She told us that visiting the Town has made her even more dedicated to her proposed topic.