Historic Keedysville Walking Tour

This now vacant site held the railroad station for the Washington County Branch of the B&O Railroad that was built in 1866-1867 from Weaverton to Hagerstown. The local station was erected in 1868. Christian M. Keedy, who later became th... Read more

Built in 1871, this property was purchased in 1908 and later made into the E. Roy Line & Son grocery store. Between it and the house next door (3 S. Main) once stood a 12 x12 foot frame building that was the first bank in town. It was o... Read more

This 1876  two story, five bay frame structure, with a turn of the century storefront, was once occupied by J.A. Miller’s general store which he opened in 1887 and continued in the business for 59 years. While running the store, Miller s... Read more

Although this house appears to post date 1877, an L shaped building belonging to R. Snyder is shown on the Atlas map of that year. This was the home of former Mayor, Ralph B. Taylor, Jr.

This house built around 1890 served as a Methodist parsonage. It was the home of Russell Geeting, last proprietor of the mill in the center of town, who was highly thought of as a member of the board of the Citizen’s Bank. Mr. Geeting was... Read more

This house is significant as one of the oldest in town and actually predates the town’s development. It is said to have served as the miller’s house for the nearby merchant mill when it was owned by John J. Keedy.

This is the site of a creamery where the farmers would bring their milk to have the cream removed. They would then haul the milk home for hog feeding purposes. An alley led to the creamery spring and a large spring house. It is at this site... Read more

The Jacob Hess House, one of Keedysville’s oldest homes and also known as the “Mill Property”, was built ca 1768-1777. This Pennsylvania German Federal architecture is constructed of 8” deep white oak hand-hewn logs (now covered wit... Read more

About 1906, the Farmers Banking and Trust Company of Baltimore had F.E.Kretzer build this bank at a cost of $5,700 and operated a banking business there but without success. On January 27, 1908, the newly organized Citizens Bank bought the ... Read more

This home appears on the 1877 Atlas map of Keedysville under the name of E. Baker and listed as a store and post office. According to local historians, it also housed Keedysville’s first telephone exchange.

The Keedysville Post Office, since approximately 1970, stands on the site of Hess’ Mill, the centerpiece around which Keedysville was developed. Jacob Hess is said to have built a mill here in the 1760s and was taxed for one in 1783. A se... Read more

Salem United Methodist Church was built in 1870 as a replacement for the Mount Hebron Church of the United Brethren (1845-1870). The Reverend George Adam Geeting is credited with establishing the first meeting house for the United Brethren ... Read more

Suman and Carr’s funeral home and furniture making business were located on this property and also Zimmerman’s hardware shop.  A Foursquare garage of cast stone dating from the 1920s survives and is said to have been a Ford garage. ...

In the 1850s John A. Grossnickel bought this double lot and built the brick house. He built a shop on this property to house his mechanic and wheelwright business. The first wagon he built was for John Ecker in 1856. His son, Oscar carried ... Read more

It is said that John Cost ran a store here around 1856. Later this was the home and presumably office of Dr. P.D. Fahrney, who was a “Uroscopian Physician” and druggist. According to local historians, the present house was built by the ... Read more

This 1832  house is believed to have been built by Phillip Pry who hired John Weaver to build a stone hall on this site. It was used as a town hall from about 1900 to1928. Later the large stone dwelling was used as a saddle shop and reside... Read more

This stone house dates from 1832 when its lot was purchased by William F. Carr for $100. It was the home of William and Rachel (Keedy) Carr.  Carr and Suman were partners in a furniture making and undertaking business which was located on ... Read more

This commercial and residential structure built about 1870 was a millenary shop operated by Mrs. Emma Thomas Snively in the early 20th century where hats for ladies were made on the spot. Seasonally, Mrs. Snively journeyed to Baltimore’s ... Read more

Built by Samuel Keedy in 1836, this was one of the earliest brick structures in the town. Samuel Keedy established a store here that was in operation for 34 years. Later it was run by the Cost Family. Buildings in the back were slave quarte... Read more

For a time in the mid 19th century, this house served as Suman’s Funeral Home after the earlier funeral home south of the Methodist church burned. It later became Earnshaw’s Funeral Home in the early 1950s.

This stone house was built in two sections by Philip Pry in the 1820s-1830s.  This was the home of the Snively family, a prominent family in the Keedysville area who were among  the first settlers here. Mr. Snively operated a butcher shop... Read more

Listed in the 1877 Illustrated Atlas of Washington County,  this structure was initially built as a chicken house, then converted to a store and finally to a residence in the mid- 20th century.  It is the original site of the broom making... Read more

This two story log house was built in the 1820s. The 1877 Atlas map shows two buildings on the property owned by Joseph Criswell.  Criswell operated a broom making business occupying the lot to the north. It is also said that Mr. Criswell ... Read more

Samuel and Alice Cost built this home about 1870 to serve as the parsonage for the German Reformed Church.

The first recorded deed of the property held by the present owner was recorded April 19, 1862. The present house is said to be one of a pair (including 52 S. Main St.) built by Samuel Cost for sale in the early 1870s. In the early 20th cent... Read more

This building reported to have been built in 1756, was constructed by John Weaver, local stone mason and builder of the famous stone bridges in Washington County. It was formerly used as the Burnt Mill School House, a Meeting Hall, and a Re... Read more

This house is one of a pair (including 56 South Main St.) that was built by the Hoffman family around 1880. The family also owned a farm on Keedysville Road that was used as a hospital after the Battle of Antietam.

This building is a rock-faced concrete block garage built about 1920. It originally held a sales and service business for Whippet Automobiles. Later it became Hammond’s Garage.

In 1835, a stone building was erected on this site owned by J.J. Keedy which was used as both a church and a school. The Reformed congregation was organized and worshiped there until 1852 when a new Mt. Vernon Reformed Church was built on l... Read more

Former Keedysville School (entrance on Mount Vernon Drive) – The first public schoolhouse in Keedysville was built in 1868 on the site of the present structure. Two more rooms were added later. Students helped make the fire for the mornin... Read more

This house dating around 1800 is said to have been built by Caleb Wyand and was the centerpiece of a farm owned by the Wyand family. All of the houses on Main Street west of the schoolhouse were built on land taken from this farm.

The Wyand House, located adjacent to the Washington County branch of the B&O Railroad tracks that have now been removed, was built about 1874 by David H. Wyand and operated by him as a hotel. He advertised it not only as the largest and... Read more

In 1861-62, Frederick Wyand built a general merchandise store larger than any other outside the county seat. Before the building was completed, the Battle of Antietam was fought September 17, 1862 and the building was taken as a Union hospi... Read more

This building was the home and shop of David Bell who had a shoe and leather business in the last quarter of the 19th century. Later it was a jewelry store.  Thomas Scharf’s history of Washington County says this building is the oldest b... Read more

In the latter part of the nineteenth century, this site was known as the Nihiser Building. Dr. W.N. Nihiser and Dr. Lowman practiced together here.

This building, built around 1880-1900, reflects the town’s development and prosperity in the late 19th century. It combines both residential and office functions and was the office of Dr. Neikirk.  A limestone tablet set near the north e... Read more

In the heart of Keedysville, this house was presumably built by D.H. Wyand and represents the main period of the town’s development. It was the office and home of Keedysville’s sole dentist, Dr. Albert Baker. Dr. Baker was a talented mu... Read more

This structure built in the 1860s was originally a dry goods store and served as the post office from the 1940s until the present post office was built in approximately1970.

This site was used as a store for carrying tinware. In 1877 it was occupied by Jacob Eavey who, in addition to being a shopkeeper, was also a drummer in the Keedysville band. The building later became the grocery store of C.F. Valentine. ...

Thought to be built around 1825-1835 is one of the oldest houses in town. A deed in 1851 shows it as the property of Jacob Lantz, a member of the Keedysville Cornet Band. This property had once been a part of the original “Felfoot Enlarge... Read more

This is one of several high porch houses built in the late 19th century along this stretch by the Keedy brothers known as “Quality Hill”.  This was the home of Dr. Newton M. Hendricks. His offices were on the ground floor where he also... Read more

This place was built by C.M. Keedy in 1853.  The basement was the first and only subscription school in the town preceding the public school system.  It was taught by Kate E. Wilson who became the wife of hotel keeper, David H. Wyand. She... Read more

This home was built by John J. Keedy around 1854.  William A. Valentine bought the house in 1911. He was appointed Keedysville Postmaster and housed the Keedysville post office on the street level until his death in 1936.  The same room w... Read more

This small one story log wash house below street level is said to have been made around 1860 from the logs of the old Geeting meeting house and school where George Adam Geeting preached sermons from 1772.  It was the first meeting house of... Read more

This house built around 1851 is said to have been lived in by a member of the Keedy family.  The basement housed Lynch’s Barber Shop in the 20th century. It was the residence of former Mayor Rome Schwagel.

This building served as a town hall and the Womens Christian Temperance Union of Keedysville.  It was dedicated in 1892. Funds for building were raised by donations administered by D.H. Wyand whose wife was a local leader of the Temperance... Read more

Built around 1890, this building served as Grove’s tailor shop in the early 1900s.  A one story commercial structure with a three bay storefront  is attached at the north side.  The original elements of the storefront appear to remain ... Read more

St. Peters Evangelical Lutheran Church marked with a cornerstone reading May 6, 1871 was built on solid rock on the highest point in town.  This marked the north end of Keedysville’s development prior to 1875. The concrete block extensio... Read more

This large 1900 house is one of a group of structures built by Kitzmiller and Keedy in an area north of the Luthern Church once known as Taylor’s Addition to Keedysville. It is a substantial house reflecting Keedysville’s prosperity aro... Read more

Established in 1934 for the citizens of Keedysville on land deeded to town by Charles Keedy Taylor. This park represents the result of Depression-era work programs. Resources from its early period include the stone retaining wall along Main... Read more

This was the home and business of the S. Patterson Roulette family who had both structures built in 1919. The garage (74 North Main) was an automotive repair and at one time the Oldsmobile dealership in Keedysville (ref. 1929 ads in Hagerst... Read more

This 1852 farmstead illustrates the agricultural character of the area surrounding Keedysville. The stone fences, stables, and pasture portray the early character of the town’s edges.