Company Profile
Historical Society of Frederick County, MD., Inc.
Company Overview
The Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland (HSFC) is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) charitable museum, library, research and educational center. HSFC is the only county historical society in the State of Maryland that has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
Founded in 1892, HSFC is one of the oldest county historical societies in the state and is dedicated to preserve, appreciate and increase public understanding of its ongoing heritage.
To accomplish this mission, HSFC collects and preserves artifacts and documents related to Frederick County, while welcoming the participation of all people in sharing informative and engaging experiences that will encourage discovery of history in vibrant and entertaining exhibits and programs, with comprehensive and accessible resources for any researcher.
HSFC’s facilities include:
• History Center - museum and library, administrative, garden – 10,000 sq. feet, and open to the public 280 days annually.
• Taney House Museum - focusing off-site on middle class life – 3,000 square feet.
• Heritage Preservation Center - off-site, state-of-the-art climate controlled collections storage facility - 3,000 square feet.
The extensive collection of over 6,000 curatorial items and 3,000 books cataloged is locally, regionally and nationally significant.
HSFC has on-site and off-site public services reaching more than 6,500 participants annually in over 80 public programs, with most of the audiences coming from the county, many through youth programs, in addition to the adult programming of lectures, seminars, tours, and other educational events.
HSFC currently, in addition to the Executive Director’s position, has a staff of five professional full-time employees (Assistant Director, Curator, Archivist, Education, & Museum Operations), with averaging six college interns, and over 50 active volunteers at any one time.
The organization is governed by a 14-member Board of Directors, elected annually on a rotating basis by the membership. Individual and family memberships are over 800.
The annual budget is in the $400,000 range, primarily supported by private and corporate contributions, endowments, and grants.
Company History
The Historical Society of Frederick County was formally organized in 1892 and incorporated in 1911. In its early years the Society’s activities centered upon lectures held at public meeting places and in private home. At these meetings, members presented papers “pertinent to the purpose of the organization.” During this time, however, the Society began to collect books, papers and artifacts of importance to the study of the county’s history. These items were stored in the basement of Winchester Hall, then the home of Hood College.
In 1944, the Society acquired the Steiner House on West Patrick Street in Frederick and began operating a museum and library at that location.
The Society’s present headquarters, the former Loats Female Orphan Asylum, was built in 1820 by Dr. John Baltzell and was acquired by the Society in 1959. On June 10, 2003, the Society acquired, through a gift from the Francis Scott Key Memorial Foundation, the Roger Brooke Taney House, including all of the sites contents and collections.
After four years of planning and fundraising, the Historical Society completed the Frederick County Heritage Preservation Center, a dedicated collections storage facility, in the late summer of 2003.
Through outstanding collections care, diverse and dynamic programs, compelling exhibits, and a demonstrated commitment to excellence, the Historical Society of Frederick County is recognized as a leader among Maryland’s heritage organizations. At its Museum and Research Library, the Roger Brooke Taney House, and the Frederick County Heritage Preservation Center, the Society demonstrates how a museum with modest resources can accomplish great things through appropriate planning, a continuity of purpose and a spirit of cooperation.
In March of 2003, the Historical Society of Frederick County became the first county historical society in the State of Maryland to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
In May of 2006, the Society was awarded the Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections by Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC.)
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
Only county historical society in the State of Maryland to be Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
2006 Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections by Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC.)