Historical Society of Carroll County East Main Street Campus

The Historical Society of Carroll County (HSCC) was founded in 1939 to save the Sherman-Fisher-Shellman House (1807) from demolition. Eventually, HSCC acquired two additional buildings—Kimmey House (c.1800) and Cockey’s (c.1820). All three historic houses create the backdrop for HSCC’s public charge—to tell Carroll County’s stories and place them within the larger context of the American experience. The Society has collected and continues to collect the tangible remembrances of Carroll County history dating from the settlement period to the present.

Tours of our Historic buildings are available during open hours Wednesday-Saturday, 10:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M.

Group tour arrangements for ten or more can be made by contacting info@hsccmd.org or by calling 410-848-6494, ext. 200. Please make reservations at least two weeks in advance. Special group tour pricing is available.

Kimmey House

The Kimmey House was built around 1800 and is located on 210 East Main Street, Westminster, MD.

Over the years, it has been home to several families and used as an office for a local doctor.

Today the Kimmey House houses the Historical Society’s Research Library, administrative offices, the Kimmey Bookshop. For more information about our library the history of the house, please contact us!

For more information about the Kimmey House and it’s history, follow these links!

Sherman-Fisher-Shellman House

Step back into Carroll County’s history with a visit to the home of Jacob Sherman and his family. Sherman built a large brick home for his family in 1807. The house, at 206 East Main Street in Westminster, stood directly across the street from the tavern that provided Sherman’s livelihood.

The house combines the traditional Carroll County farmhouse with the ethnic traditions of Sherman’s Pennsylvania German heritage and architectural innovations such as counter-balanced windows and built-in cupboards. HSCC also maintains the Shipley Memorial Garden behind the structure with a kitchen garden and various native plants. A tour of the fully-restored house provides a unique opportunity to visit one of Westminster’s earliest homes.

Click here for a detailed look at the history and restoration of the Sherman-Fisher-Shellman House.

Cockey’s Tavern

Cockey’s is located at 216 East Main Street in Westminster, MD. The building was built around 1820 and was home to a variety of families over the years and also served as a tavern and boarding house. At present, Cockey’s houses the Koontz-Yingling Learning Center.

If you are interested in a detailed description of Cockey’s, please click her to read “An Architectural and Historical Analysis.”

Other articles of interest:
Tales of Hoffman

Shipley Memorial Gardens

The gardens behind the Sherman-Fisher-Shellman House were made possible through the generosity of the Paul Shipley family in memory of Miss Lillian Shipley, our first resident curator.

Visit in the spring and into the summer and you can see the kitchen garden beside the back porch. We’ve put in some of the more interesting and unusual plants that may have been grown in the period 1800-1850 and used for food or medicinal and domestic-industrial purposes. The larger portion of the garden, “the Pleasure Garden,” is planted with a wide variety of plants, shrubs, and trees that would have been available during the same early 19th century period.

Many of your friends and neighbors have donated funds for dedicated plantings in memory of loved ones, both friends and family, and in honor of special events, homesteads long gone, cherished and respected individuals, or accomplishments. Join them in becoming part of this lasting legacy.

 

Emerald Hill (formerly the Westminster City Hall)

In December 2015, Emerald Hill mansion was leased to the Historical Society by the City of Westminster to provide additional space for educational programs, exhibits, and social functions. The Carroll County Office of Tourism is housed in a room on the first floor of the mansion. The address is: 1838 Emerald Hill Lane, Westminster, MD.

Originally sited on seven acres in the center of the City, Emerald Hill was built in 1842 by Col. John K. Longwell, a prominent citizen of Westminster who established a newspaper in 1833 and played a part in the creation of Carroll County. He served as County Commissioner, charter trustee of Western Maryland College, and director of the Union National Bank. He was described as the man “most closely identified with the financial, political, and material history of Carroll County.” Longwell lived at Emerald Hill with his wife Sarah until his death in 1896 at age 86. His daughter Sallie continued to live there until her death in 1905.

Emerald Hill estate was then annexed into the City and the mansion sold in 1908 to George W. Albaugh; he and his family lived in there until his death in1933. Six years later the house was extensively remodeled to become City Hall; another historic renovation was conducted in 2014 in honor of the City’s 250th anniversary.

Rentals at Cockey’s

Cockey’s Tavern is available to YOU for all your events! With their classic charm and style, they are the ideal places to hold your wedding receptions, birthday parties, class reunions, family reunions, graduation parties, or a holiday event! They are also ideal for business events and have ample space for your business meetings, presentations, retreats, and team building. Cockey’s amenities include a kitchenette for preparing food and drinks, centrally located ADA restrooms, free off-street parking, elevator service to the second floor rooms, and WiFI access. Cockey’s can hold a maximum of 40 guests with tables and chairs.

Contact us at 410-848-6494, ext 200 or email clusher@hsccmd.org to discuss space availability and rental fees/information.

The rental agreement and rental fee schedule is available for viewing upon request. Please note that the rental agreement and fees are subject to change without notice.

Rentals start at a base fee of $150 plus an hourly rate of $50 and a $250 refundable damage deposit.

We offer special non-profit pricing. Please inquire for further details.

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