Thursday, October 30, 2008

Middletown and Surroundings

Christ Lutheran Church : Main Street : Middletown, MD

Just a few pictures from Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo's neck of the wood. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of D.C., drive about an hour and fifteen minutes north on I-270 to I-70 West and you'll encounter the villages of Middletown, Boonsboro, and Antietam (or Sharpsburg, depending on which side of the Civil War you fall on.) These are but a few of the sights we enjoyed.

The Main Cup : Main Street : Middletown, MD

To learn more about Middletown and the surrounding villages and towns in the Catoctin Mountains, visit Middletown Daily Photo and shout out a hello to Bernie!

Dahlgren's Chapel : Route 40 : Catoctin Mountains, MD

This stone church, called Dahlgren's Chapel, was built around 1881 by Madeleine Dahlgren, the wife of Admiral John Dahlgren, USN, inventor of the Dahlgren gun. The gun was used on board the USS Monitor against CSS Virginia, formerly the steam frigate USS Merrimack.

Fence line : Antietam National Historic Battlefield : Antietam, MD

The Civil War's bloodiest one day battle took place in Antietam, Maryland, on September 17, 1862. More than 23,000 were killed, wounded, or missing at the end of 12 hours of fierce fighting. It was the first major battle of the Civil War to take place on northern soil. Six corps of the Army of the Potomac under the command of Gen. Geo. B. McClellan repelled two corps of the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Gen. Robt. E. Lee. (To read more about it, go here.) The Federal victory was "tactically indecisive" but it was significant enough to persaude President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation four months later in January 1863.

Fall Harvest : Little Pumpkins : Produce and Craft Stand : Middletown, MD

On the way home, we stopped at a produce and craft stand to admire and buy some of the pumpkins, apples, and assorted fall harvest. It was quite colorful!

Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo,
taking a picture of one of Middletown's newest residents.


This last picture features Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo taking a picture of a woman we met during our walkabout. I can't remember her name, but we chatted with her for a good 15 minutes or so.

And here's a slideshow of a few more photos from around Middletown, Boonsboro, and Antietam! (Click on the image to open a new window in Picasa and launch the slideshow there.)



Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

13 comments:

Maya said...

Very nice. Looks like it was a fun day. My favorite shot in here is the one of Dahlgren's Chapel. So serene!

Greyhound Girl said...

What a great time, it looks like. And i love all these pictures- it reminds me of home. And of course you have fence line, which is one of my favorite things to see photos of!

Tash said...

I love the Chapel too. Really nice photos giving a great sense of place.

Virginia said...

Well they are all great but the stone church is my fav. I need to see more of that one. And by the way Miss Fancypants, putting a slideshow on your blog are we??
I was told Picasa wasn't compatible with Macs. Enlighten moi s'il vous plait.

Bernie said...

Thanks for the publicity! I meant to take pictures of you and your friends that day but I let myself get distracted.

Another first at Antietam that might interest photographers: it was the first battle in which photographic documentation included shots of dead soldiers before they were buried. Photographers Gardner and Gibson arrived within a day or two of the battle and spent two days taking pictures of the devastation and human tragedy, forever changing the public perception of war. Prior to this, most post-battle photography showed off only landscapes and posed groups of surviving soldiers.

Janet Kincaid said...

Maya: Thanks! It was a fun day. The Dahlgren Chapel was an unexpected little find. We came around a bend and over a rise and there it was at the top of the hill.


Prof: I think we enjoyed ourselves. Although, our purpose in going was to see the fall colors and there wasn't a lot of color going on in those parts. I think we were too late for some trees and too early for the rest. As for the fence lines in Antietam, you'd've been in fence line heaven!


Tash: Thanks! I love the little towns and villages around these parts.


VJ: I think I have a few more pics of the stone chapel, but their all exterior shots. I didn't go in. I'll go through my other pics and post some on Standing Room Only for you. As for Picasa for Mac, go here.


Bernie: It's okay that you didn't get pictures of us! I don't like having my picture taken, so I'm not bothered! The information about photography at Antietam was fascinating. I had no idea that was the first place war dead were photographed. Hope to see you again either down here in D.C. or up in your area!

marley said...

This was certainly a great photography trip. The results are excellent!

Eric said...

Route 40? Is that Pulaski Hwy?
I didn't know it went that far west.
I thought it ended at I95 in DC.
Great shots today.

My camera was acting up the one time I went to Antietam so none of my shots were worthy.
I will go out there again some day.

Have you been to Rock Run at Susquehanna State Park or Havre de Grace? I grew up there.

Janet Kincaid said...

Marley: Thanks! It's a beautiful part of Maryland and well worth the visit.


Eric: I think Rte. 40 is Pulaski Hwy. To clarify, 40 takes you off of I-70 and into Middletown. From Middletown, you take Sharpsburg Pike (Rte. 34, I think) to Antietam. Sorry for the misinformation there! I haven't been to Rock Run, but I'd love to go there. I've heard it's beautiful. And I've only ever driven past Havre de Grace on the way to Philadelphia. Must stop there one day, too!

Eric said...

Rock Run has a working mill with a large water wheel. The grey stone of the mill and rust colored water wheel along with the green moss is quite a good subject.
Havre de Grace has the Concord Point Lighthouse and it is the location of a battle in the War of 1812. All very interesting.
If you like covered bridges at all, there is The Jericho Covered Bridge near Joppatowne. this link has directions http://www.ce.jhu.edu/mdcive/jericho.htm

I plan to shoot all of these next time I come out there. Antietam as well.

You have great photos...

Janet Kincaid said...

Eric: This is all great information. Thank you! I need to spend a little more time in Maryland and Virginia, as there's so much to see and do. The areas up around Baltimore are especially rich with history and I need to get up there. The next time you're in town, give a shout! It would be great to do a photo walk with you in the areas you mention.

Jane Hards Photography said...

Very enjoyable virtual walk around middletown. Some excellent photography here too.

Janet Kincaid said...

Babooshka: Thanks! To see a picture-a-day from this area, be sure to visit Bernie's blog. He does a great job capturing this part of the larger Washington, D.C., Metropolitan area.