South Mountain Heritage Society

01/26/2026

Looking for something to pass a little time as we thaw out from the recent winter storm? Check out our latest "South Mountain Stories" article featuring the tale of Burkittsville's own Julia Shafer, one of the first female rural mail carriers in the United States.

The March 24, 1912, edition of The Baltimore Sun carried the headline “Snowdrifts do not daunt this girl mail carrier” and an article telling the story of Julia Shafer. This native of the...

01/17/2026

Visit our website to read the latest article in our South Mountain Stories blog, detailing a unique expression of unity among residents of the lower Middletown Valley in the midst of World War II.

An intriguing letter appeared in the November 27, 1941, edition of Brunswick’s Blade Times newspaper. The letter was written by Himan Nathan Werntz, a prominent businessman in Brunswick who...

01/01/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to the New Year's Eve Illumination and Bell Ringing at South Mountain Heritage Society. Friends, neighbors, and visitors to town gathered to enjoy refreshments and see the historic sanctuary of the Resurrection Reformed Church aglow in candlelight before we climbed the towers at midnight to ring the bells. While the present iteration of this event has gone on for decades, the earliest documented account of New Year's Eve bell ringing in Burkittsville comes from an entry in the records of St. Paul's Church from 1869. We are honored to carry this tradition on and enjoy seeing familiar and new faces each year as we gather to ring in the new year!

12/30/2025

Tomorrow night is our annual New Year's Eve Illumination and Bell Ringing at the museum. The doors will open at 11:30 pm for light refreshments and a chance to admire the historic Resurrection Reformed Church by candlelight. At midnight, we will gather to ring the bells of Saint Paul's and the museum and mark the beginning of the New Year, in traditional Burkittsville fashion!

12/14/2025

We had a wonderful open house yesterday for Museums by Candlelight. Thank you to all of those who came out to Burkittsville to visit the museum! We also appreciate all of our volunteers who prepared the delicious food, our craft activity, and provided the beautiful decorations.

12/12/2025

We are excited to welcome you to the museum tomorrow for Museums by Candlelight! The historic Resurrection Reformed Church has been beautifully decorated and we have prepared a preview of our forthcoming exhibit "Revolutionary Times in Burkittsville." Come and discover the history of Burkittsville, view a special display from our friends with the Middletown Valley Historical Society, make a unique ornament craft to take home, and enjoy some refreshments! The museum will be open from noon until 5:00 pm.

Make your plans now to see as many of our incredible museums and historic sites as possible! Information about all participating sites is available here: https://www.visitfrederick.org/events/annual-events/museums-by-candlelight/

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from South Mountain Heritage Society! We extend our gratitude to everyone who has visited the museum, supported our fundraisers, and volunteered to help with our programs and caring for our historic building. You all make the work of preserving and sharing the history of Burkittsville possible.

Thanksgiving was a special holiday in the history of the Resurrection Reformed Church. For many years, the congregation opened the doors of the church to the community on Thanksgiving and served dinners, sometimes to as many as 300 people. Exactly when this tradition started is not known, but it was already an annual event in 1931. Menus included turkey, country ham, and some years, oysters. These advertisements and notices for the annual Thanksgiving dinners are drawn from "The Blade-Times," the long-running Brunswick newspaper. Even in the years after the dinner was suspended, Thanksgiving was still observed with a special service in the church. The last service to be held in the Reformed Church occurred on Thanksgiving in 1979.

11/21/2025

We hope to see you on Saturday, December 13th for our annual Museums by Candlelight open house! Come and enjoy the museum beautifully decorated for the holidays, partake in refreshments and a unique ornament craft, and discover the history of Burkittsville.

We are excited to share a preview of our upcoming exhibit "Revolutionary Times in Burkittsville" during the Museums by Candlelight opening. We are also thrilled to welcome our friends from the Middletown Valley Historical Society who will provide a display in the museum.

For more information about this event and all of the incredible historic sites and museums that will be open on December 13th, check out the Visit Frederick website: https://www.visitfrederick.org/events/annual-events/museums-by-candlelight/

11/11/2025

On this Veterans Day, we share a unique remembrance of Burkittsville veterans who served in World War II. In January 1946, members of the Golden Circle Sunday School Class of Saint Paul's Lutheran Church purchased a Bible and inscribed it with the names of thirty community members who had served in the recently-ended conflict. This special recognition of Burkittsville veterans is still preserved in the church today.

10/25/2025

Today's the day, we have reached the final week of this year's Annual Gigantic Used-Book Sale and that means it is time for our BOOKS-BY-THE-BAG special! Come to South Mountain Heritage Society and fill as many bags as you can from the thousands of great books still available. Each bag is just $12. Doors will be open from 9am until 4pm.

Don't forget, today is also the last day of our "Untold Histories" walking tours. Join us at 4:30 pm for a trip through the lesser known chapter's of Burkittsville's past!

We have been thrilled with the turnout at this year's sale and appreciate everyone's support through purchasing books, donating books, and making monetary contributios. The Gigantic Used-Book Sale is a fundraiser that supports the preservation of our historic building, the Resurrection Reformed Church, and enables the Heritage Society to open it to the public with exhibits and programs that share Burkittsville's unique history with visitors from near and abroad. THANK YOU for supporting us through the book sale!