Washington County Free Library

Western Maryland Room
The John Clinton Frye Western Maryland Room was established in 1968 to provide and preserve historical information about our region. The Room contains approximately 10,000 books and over 400 cubic feet of archival material including maps, newspapers, photographs, ledgers, manuscripts, ephemera, and a limited number of artifacts covering the Cumberland and Shenandoah Valleys; all of Western Maryland, including Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties; plus Frederick and Carroll Counties in Central Maryland. Some material is also included for all counties adjacent to those five Maryland counties in the three surrounding states of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

Highlighted in the collection are a large Civil War research collection, a family research (genealogy) collection, and a substantial holding of information on canals, railroads, local culture and industry. Numerous yearbooks from schools located in Washington County are also part of the collection. The WMR sponsors the Robert H. McCauley Historical Lecture Series and holds workshops on genealogy topics and caring for archival materials such as photographs and rare books.

Location
The John Clinton Frye Western Maryland Room is located on the 3rd Floor at the Alice Virginia & David W. Fletcher Branch of the Washington County Free Library located at 100 South Potomac Street, Hagerstown.