In 1745, German settlers founded the city of Frederick, Maryland. The city’s close proximity to the Civil War battlegrounds of Monocacy, Antietam, and Gettysburg (the bloodiest battle of them all) makes this town rich in history. The city of Frederick is a patriotic icon in school history books, but many people are unaware of its deep roots in the arts, music and theater.To explore Frederick’s cultural and creative history, here’s a look at Frederick’s famous artistic moments in time:
1814: Frederick native Francis Scott Key writes The Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing the bombing of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor. His song officially becomes the National Anthem more than 100 years later.
1862: Frederick goes down in history when Union supporter Barbara Fritchie defiantly flies the American flag outside of her downtown home while Confederate soldiers march by. This alleged act eventually becomes the inspiration for John Greenleaf Whittier’s propaganda poem published near the end of the Civil War era.
1883: The Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company, spearheaded by the Delaplaine and Randall families, begins publishing a daily morning newspaper called The News.
1916: The Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company acquires a local daily evening newspaper called The Frederick Post.
1926: The Tivoli (more recently known as the Weinberg Center) opens its doors for the first time. Crystal chandeliers, marble and silk wall coverings surround guests while they’re ushered to their seats by men wearing gold-buttoned jackets and managers in tuxedos.
1954: The Great Southern Printing and Manufacturing Company acquires a property across from Carroll Creek, which serves as a storage facility for its two newspaper publications.
1976: After a disastrous flood tragically devastated Downtown Frederick, the Frederick Arts Council is created to restore the arts and culture of the city. They are now involved with Art in the Park, Festival of the Arts and the Heartly House.
1982: Lucas Hull is born in Frederick. Hull will eventually become the digital compositor for Hollywood blockbusters, including Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), The Smurfs (2011), The Avengers (2012), The Wolverine (2013), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013).
1986: The old newspaper storage facility is donated by the Delaplaine and Randall families to the city of Frederick for use as a visual arts center.
1990: Clutch, a successful rock band, is formed in Frederick. The quartet of rock and roll musicians has released 11 studio albums since its inception.
1993: The City of Frederick begins using the donated storage building, leasing it to the Frederick Art Center Foundation, which establishes The Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center.
1997: The Frederick Symphony Orchestra is founded, giving professional and amateur musicians an opportunity to play classical concerts locally.
1999: Though not filmed in Frederick, The Blair Witch Project is set in the woods on the outskirts of town.
2002: The News and The Frederick Post are merged together to create a daily morning newspaper, The Frederick News-Post.
2009: The Frederick News-Post drops their Monday morning edition after dramatic drops in readership and advertising revenue.
2012: Due to subscriber demand, the Monday morning edition is brought back with a business and sports focus.
2015: Glenn Quader enthusiastically begins his new position as the music director of the Frederick Symphony Orchestra.
2016: The FSO celebrates its 20th Anniversary season.
Frederick’s cultural history began with a very important song, an act of courage, and a simple publication for the people. The city is now home to a richly historical theater, a visual arts education center, a daily newspaper, a successful orchestra, and so much more. Famous names have come from this charming town, and they’ve gone on to do impressive things with their talents.
Everyone at the Frederick Symphony Orchestra is proud to call Frederick home, and we feel lucky to share it with such an culturally rooted community.