Hagerstown & Frederick Railway Historical Society Incorporated

The long term goals and priorities of the H&FRHS center not only around the continual outreach and education of the public as to the local importance of the regional trolley network and the preservation of those items which tell that story, but also with the expansion and growth of the organization into a more responsible and professional institution.

While we currently provide loaned exhibits and guest lectures to regional institutions and organizations and maintain our archives and operations under the generosity of a long-time member and his business, we intend to someday offer a research and exhibit center dedicated solely to the function of presenting and housing our artifacts and functions on a limited year-round basis and preparing a more accessible and technologically standard public research facility for those interested in learning more and furthering the understanding of our subject matter and its associated topics in local area community, transportation and power generation history and culture. While any adequate facility would serve this purpose it is our desire to someday acquire or be housed within one of approximately a dozen surviving structures that remain from the days of trolley operations.

Despite limited assets and volunteers our organization has entered a period of slow growth over the past several years through continual outreach at area functions, interaction with local history and community organizations and exhibitions which have gained area media attention. Through various fundraising efforts we have endeavored to and expect to raise the minimum funds for the creation of an Endowment Fund managed by the Community Foundation of Frederic County which will provide further financial assets for our continual growth and operations.

Due to the somewhat limited scope of our subject matter, available sources of donation are limited and other avenues of fundraising are frequently being examined by board and volunteers. We have also put a great volunteer focus on bringing our archival collections up to more suitably responsible storage and documentation standards and as of 2020 have applied for grants to further advance the quality of our archives and our ability to document oral history from those with personalized information and memories about the trolley system.

The volunteers of the H&FRHS continually strive to meet the demands of the public interest in local trolley history. Our perpetual goals are actively met through continual public engagement while the long term goal of a future research center will be the result of perseverance in that engagement and outreach.

As of 2019 we have increased our lecture program from only one program in 2016 to seven programs in 2019. After several years with minimal exhibitions our exhibits were requested for a cumulative 8 months over 2019 as well. Between 2015 and 2019 membership has grown from less than 10 active perpetual members to over 35.

In the matter of the H&FRHS Archives we have performed an initial documentation of over 1100 individual objects, documents and photographs and will begin detailed documentation on these objects during 2020.