A New Look at Old Stories

Originally published April 2021 · p. 33

The Civil War Trails team replaced older panels with newly updated content and repainted both signs for a fresh look.

Peerless Rockville, Montgomery History, and local historian Clarence Hickey helped develop the new text and will be part of the revisions to the other signs in the locality. For more information about Civil War Trails, Inc. contact: Drew A. Gruber Executive Director Civil War Trails ® PO Box 1862 Williamsburg, Va. 23187 757-378-5462 civilwartrails.org

A New Look at Old Stories Civil War Trails, Inc. has teamed up with the City of Rockville, Peerless Rockville, Montgomery History, and a private donor to develop two new signs for the Stonestreet Museum and Beall-Dawson House. The signs are the first of several in and around Rockville which the group will refresh. Rockville is part of the Civil War Trails program that connects visitors to over 1,200 sites across six states. The program encourages visitors to stand in the footsteps of soldiers, citizens, and those fighting for freedom. Each Civil War Trails site is marketed internationally by state tour-ism offices, regional destination marketing organizations, and municipal partners. This means the educational product is part of a much larger economic development mission. “The best way to learn about the Civil War is by traveling Maryland’s five Civil War Trails,” says Tom Riford, Assistant Secretary, Maryland Department of Commerce Division of Marketing, Tourism, Film, and the Arts. “Maryland’s trails have inspired travelers from around the world to leave the interstates and take the state’s scenic and historic routes to battlefields and beyond to places such as the Beall-Dawson House. These travelers visit our cities and towns where they shop, dine, and spend the night thereby creating some of the economic impact that helps save each Maryland household more than $1,175 per year.” As an ‘open air museum,’ Civil War Trails is a popular way for travelers and families to explore in a safe and responsible way. Of course, as visitors drive the Civil War Trails they are gassing up, grabbing curbside service, and patronizing local businesses. “The timing of the updated signage is perfect,” says Montgomery History’s Executive Director Matt Logan, “because it means visitors can continue to engage with history even while our campus is closed. We are excited to be sharing new perspectives and, through these stories, bring untold voices that will resonate with visitors to life. The stories of Dr. Stonestreet, and the community he served through his medical service, as well as those who lived at the Beall-Dawson

Stonestreet Museum, courtesy of Montgomery History.

House, including those who were enslaved, have something to teach all of us, even today.” The updated content was made possible by a private donor and the City of Rockville’s Planning and Development Services division. Now more than ever it is important to ensure that interpretive signs are relaying accurate and engaging content. The Civil War Trails program is uniquely geared to update their signs as new research comes to light, to improve accessibility, and to compliment a dynamic audience.