Catoctin Center
For more comprehensive information please visit the Catoctin Center web site at Catoctin Center
History and Purpose
The Catoctin Center for Regional Studies was created in 1998 by Frederick Community College to study the history and culture of central Maryland and the border areas of neighboring states. This region, in the midst of the Catoctin Mountain range, encompasses an area rich in history and cultural heritage, and one that has long been a crossroads of people and ideas. From early wagon roads and the National Road, to ironworks and glassworks, to the C&O Canal and the B&O Railroad, to Antietam and Gettysburg, to abundant farms and traditional folkways, to cold war research and Camp David, the Catoctin region features an immense historical legacy. As more people enter this region, with consequent pressures to alter the existing landscape, there is a greater need to recover, analyze, and interpret the historical forces that shaped the region, and to assist the public in a continuing discussion about what is important to value and preserve.
Mission
The dual mission of the Catoctin Center for Regional Studies is t 1) promote the research and study of mid-Maryland (Washington, Frederick, and Carroll counties) and border areas of neighboring states, and 2) foster excellence in student learning through research. The four broad components are:
- Research - foster the multidisciplinary study and interpretation of the history and culture of central Maryland and the border areas of neighboring states;
- Teaching - offer educational opportunities, in the classroom and through hands-on learning experiences, for the public to learn about the region's history;
- Communication - disseminate historical research and information to the region's public through a variety of innovative programs and activities;
- Collaboration - help coordinate the exchange of information and resources concerning regional history and culture between regional academic institutions, cultural organizations, National Park Service units, other federal, state, and local government agencies, and the public.
Current Projects
- FCC/NPS Cooperative Agreement. In June 1999, FCC and six of the region's National Park Service units signed a five-year Cooperative Agreement that pledges the organizations to work together on issues of regional history and research. Current projects include a National Historical Register update and archeological artifacts cataloging.
- Oral History Collection. FCC students are collecting oral histories on /topics such as the civil rights movement, WWII, and Vietnam. Transcripts are being prepared for public use in both paper and online formats.
- Maryland's Civil War Heritage Area. The Catoctin Center is working with the counties of Washington, Frederick, and Carroll to develop the state's Civil War Heritage Area.
- History Resource Center. FCC students are compiling bibliographic information for each county in central Maryland and neighboring counties. This information, which will be available through this web site, will help scholars at all levels locate local and regional research materials.
- Institute for Participation in Government. This non-partisan group is working to reduce voter apathy and promote participation in the political process within the region.
- Ethnographic Survey of Frederick County. With grants from the Maryland Historical Trust and the Maryland State Arts Council, researchers for the Catoctin Center are studying the traditional culture, folklore, and folklife of Frederick County GIS Database Project. The Catoctin Center, under a grant from the State Highway Administration's Transportation Enhancement Program, is developing a Geographical Information System (GIS) database of historic local transportation-related sites.
- Course Offerings. Every semester the Catoctin Center offers a series of continuing education courses on the history of Frederick County. Future credit and noncredit courses on the Catoctin region are being planned.
Catoctin History is the illustrated regional history magazine of the Catoctin Center for Regional Studies. The magazine is a non-profit, educational forum for research and information about the history and culture of mid-Maryland and the surrounding area. Eclectic in design and content, Catoctin History offers a broad perspective on the region's past. The magazine is published two times a year, Spring and Fall.
For subscription information, please see the reply card in each issue, or call 301-624-2773, or write t Catoctin History, Frederick Community College, 7932 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702.
Catoctin History welcomes submissions and suggestions for feature articles and columns. Before sending any material, however, please first contact the Editor by e-mail, or by telephone at 301-624-2773, or by mail at the address listed above.