The City of Frederick’s Historic Preservation Commission, in partnership with the Maryland Room at the C. Burr Artz Library, is excited to announce the 6th annual Digging Local event. This special event will take place at the C. Burr Artz Library, Community Room, located at 110 E. Patrick Street, from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM.
April is Maryland Archeology Month, and Digging Local offers the public exclusive access to local archeological investigations. This year, the event will highlight the exciting research at the Monocacy Battlefield and the potter’s field where Frederick County’s almshouse once stood.
Julianne Clark, Archeologist for New South Associates, Inc., will share her work at the Monocacy National Battlefield. This park, known for the Civil War Battle of Monocacy, has a rich history that includes early Native American groups, European colonizers, and post-Civil War farming and industry. Systematic archaeological surveys over the last three years have uncovered new sites and expanded knowledge about existing ones.
Luc Renaux, GIS Specialist at Goodwin & Associates, will present findings from the old Potter’s Field, located on the land where the Frederick County Health Department now stands. This site, previously home to Montevue Hospital and the Frederick County Almshouse, was a mass burial ground reserved for strangers and the friendless poor. A Ground Penetrating Radar survey in 2022 revealed burial locations and evidence of historic structures linked to the now-demolished hospital.
For questions or special accommodation, please contact Christina Martinkosky, Division Manager of Historic Preservation Planning at 301-600-1831.