If the walls at the Historic Shepherdstown Museum could talk, what would you hear? Probably some interesting stories, judging by the surprising variety of exhibits squeezed into two floors of the circa-1786 building that was formerly part of the Entler Hotel at the corner of Princess and German Streets. The building has seen many uses, but the museum, which will be commemorating 40 years of operation in 2024, looks as if it’s going to stick around a while. In addition to the exhibits that chronicle town life from its early days, through the dark days of the Civil War, and into the twentieth century, the museum hosts an extensive archive of local photographs and records available for public research.
The museum is more than just static displays too, with an active membership that offers social programs and a speaker series that engages on topics that expand beyond Shepherdstown. For 2024, the lineup includes presentation on African American cemeteries in the local area on Apr 17; Native Americans in the Shenandoah Valley on May 15; the historic National Road (which runs through Boonsboro, just across the Potomac River) on Sep 4; and the architectural features of the Shepherdstown Historic District from 1850 to the present-day on Oct 16.
The Historic Shepherdstown Commission is a non-profit membership-supported organization that supports the musuem collection, organizes the speaker series, and maintains the historic Entler Hotel at the corner of Princess and German Streets in Shepherdstown. Information about membership, volunteer opportunities, the lecture series, and the museum collection is online at HistoricShepherdstown.com.
