HCWHA US 250th GeoTour
Newcomer House
Party like it’s 1776 with the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area’s 250th GeoTour! Designed for beginner and veteran geocachers, participants will travel through time, solving puzzles and following clues to learn more about mid-Maryland’s rich history. In honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States, our 250th GeoTour will take you throughout Carroll, Frederick, and Washington Counties to sites of historical significance, including battlefields, houses of worship, museums, parks, and more!
Our tour is an opportunity to learn more about the people, places, and events that laid the foundation for our country. While supplies last, those who collect 15 or more will earn this Geotour’s limited edition geocoin commemorating the 250th. Happy hunting!
Courtesy of Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area
Today, the Newcomer House on the Antietam National Battlefield serves as the Exhibit and Visitor Center for the Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area, interpreting the bloodiest day in American military history and providing patrons with a glimpse into the lives of people who lived on or near the battlefield.
In the days and weeks following September 17, 1862, the Newcomer barn became a field hospital for Union soldiers. Likely, the house was also pressed into use. It was during this battle that numerous advancements in battlefield medicine were developed by Dr. Jonathan Letterman. More can be learned about that at the nearby Pry House and Field Hospital Museum on the Antietam National Battlefield and the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in downtown Frederick.
The Newcomers chose to leave the house just before September 17. The story of their return is recounted in the house interpretation. The house was restored in 1999 to its 1862 appearance following Secretary of the Interior standards for historic restorations. The southeast parlor has been furnished to reflect the decorating style of the family as well as offering visitors time to consider what decisions they had to make as they prepared to leave in haste.
Visitors here may also learn about the broader stories and places to explore in this heritage area that includes portions of Frederick, Carroll and Washington Counties.
The brutal human toll of the Battle of Antietam would serve as a turning point in the war with the first Confederate invasion of a Northern state and led to President Lincoln issuing the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.
The Newcomer House is open 10AM-4PM Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays. The grounds are open during daylight hours. Please do not go for the geocache at nighttime. The geocache is a camoed container. There is a ground zero photo in the gallery to get you close.
Thanks to the following members of the Maryland Geocaching Society in placing the hides for this GeoTour: deepdish23, hunterKat, GR8Caches, Snurt, Phos4s, JediTrashPanda and AL's Guide.