Laurel Historical Society

The Laurel Historical Society will be at the 2026 Laurel Book Fair presented by the Laurel History Boys at Oliver's Old Towne Tavern!

Join us on Sunday, August 23 from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM to meet local authors, enjoy food and drinks, and celebrate local history. We hope to see you there!

Thank you very much to all who attended the GSK Science in the Summer Camp with us this week, and a special thank you to for their incredible program! We had a ton of fun learning how to Be a Chemist and explore the importance of chemistry in different fields, including medicine, manufacturing, art, and environmental conservation through hands– on activities and experiments.

It has been a great summer learning with all of our campers, and we are already looking forward to next year!

Images: Instructor Mr. Fran leads campers in cosmetic and forensic chemistry activities.

LHS's walking tours return this fall with our Main Street Walking Tour: Part Two!

Dates: Saturday, September 26 and October 24 | 10:00 AM
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/main-street-walking-tour-part-two

Join us as we explore more of Laurel’s historic district, this time with a focus on the Civil War, commercial growth, and people who inhabited Laurel. This tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and covers approximately 1 mile.

This guided walking tour will begin at Laurel’s historic Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station (now MARC) and follow down Main Street, featuring the site of a Civil War encampment, the Citizens National Bank Building, and the location of the Avondale Mill before it burned down in 1991. This tour will examine the evolution of the town as a commercial district in the 19th century through discussion of historic structures that housed businesses and families, and how fires shaped Laurel.

Image: Tom Rudkin, Eddie Remley, and Maurice and Julia Quill standing outside Laurel's B&O Station circa 1912. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

This September, the Laurel Historical Society will be recognizing the 25th anniversary of 9/11 with a temporary exhibition and program.

On September 10 at 6:00 PM, LHS is hosting a free program in remembrance of 9/11 at the City of Laurel Municipal Center, featuring guest presenters Wayne Dzwonchyk and Lorraine Brooks. We are inviting residents of Laurel to join in person or virtually and share their own reflections about the event to be captured by LHS and archived for future generations.

LHS will also mount a small exhibit, “Laurel Remembers 9/11” at the Laurel Museum from September 4 to September 27, which will feature a book of remembrance signed by residents in the days after 9/11 and again on the 10th anniversary. Visitors will be invited to contribute to the book again for the 25th anniversary and add their reflections on the event looking back 25 years.

Image: Scan of the Laurel Leader on September, 13, 2001. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

Join us on Thursday, August 20 from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM for a Laurel Board of Trade networking event hosted at the Laurel Museum. This event is a great opportunity to meet local businesses while enjoying refreshments and viewing our current exhibition! Networking events are open to both members and non-members and free to attend. We hope to see you there!

Come join the Laurel Museum team! This position is perfect for a college student, new grad, retiree, or anyone interested in small museums. Click below for more information.
https://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org/uploads/8/7/8/4/8784273/visitor_services_associate_2026.07.10.pdf

Lastly, we are taking a look back 50 years to the United States Bicentennial celebration!

A different approach was taken to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Instead of a large exhibition, the U.S. government decided to encourage locally sponsored events, leading to grand celebrations that took place across the country and throughout the year.

The City of Laurel participated in this impressive anniversary by hosting the largest Bicentennial celebration in Prince George’s County. Planning for the event began in September of 1973, and Laurel successfully became an official "Bi-Centennial Community" recognized by the National organization. The Bicentennial Commission - formed by Mayor Leo Wilson in August of 1974 – encouraged the formation of “Horizon Groups” that created permanent projects. These projects included the Laurel Horizon Society, now known as the Laurel Historical Society.

Laurel’s community worked tirelessly to celebrate the milestone, putting together children’s programs, patriotic concerts, open houses, balls, and more. The celebration took place over 10 days, with a July 3rd parade viewed by thousands of spectators and ending with a July 4th Festival Day.

Interested in learning more about Laurel’s Bicentennial Celebration? Stop by the Laurel Museum during our regular open hours Friday – Sunday at 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm to see our current exhibition “Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel’s Freedom Celebrations”!

Images: Bicentennial Exhibit at City Hall, September 1975. Laurel Historical Society, Brennan Collection.
Pallotti Day Nursery in the Bicentennial Parade, July 1976. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

Laurel Museum Intern Spotlight! Meet Daniel Herrera, our summer intern.

"Hello! My name is Daniel Herrera, and I am an intern at the Laurel Historical Society. I attend American Public University, where I currently am finishing the last steps for my master’s degree in public history. History has always been a huge passion of mine since I was young and the goal to preserve it has always been motivational as well. Archival practices remain a huge part of my passion and working in any archive in the future has been the greatest motivation. My hobbies include traveling, watching horror movies, gaming, and hanging out with friends. In my current role, I am looking forward to the archival practices of preservation and digitization. As a lot of the documents begin to deteriorate it is important to make sure that people have access to history. I value the great amount of work that is done when it comes to interactive communities and telling stories for future generations. Preserving history is important and I look forward to continuing my work at Laurel Historical Society."

Image: Intern Daniel Herrera sorts through collection documents.

To continue our celebration of the Semiquincentennial this month, we are looking back at the Sesquicentennial!

In comparison to the Centennial, the United States 150th anniversary was far more subdued. A large national celebration once again took place in Philadelphia from May through November with themed days and a special address by Calvin Coolidge, but this time the 184-day event was plagued with bad weather 107 of the days. This, as well as public opposition, mismanagement, and financial troubles, led to an event that did not receive enough visitors to cover the cost.

Laurel also saw a much smaller celebration for the Sesquicentennial, both due to bad weather and a nationwide movement against fireworks. This movement, referred to as the “Safe and Sane” movement, contributed to a city-wide fireworks ban in Laurel during the 4th. Local newspaper accounts of the day show that there was no formal celebration held, but that there was a July 5 parade by the Boys’ Fife and Drum Corps.

Want to learn more about the Sesquicentennial? Drop by the Laurel Museum during our regular open hours Friday – Sunday at 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm to see our current exhibition “Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel’s Freedom Celebrations”!

Image: Arch from which hangs a facsimile of the Liberty Bell constructed at entrance to the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition, Philadelphia, Pa. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

In celebration of the United States Semiquincentennial we are taking a look back to the Centennial 150 years ago!

The United States Centennial was celebrated across the nation but was primarily centered in Philadelphia with the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, which ran from May 10 to November 10, 1876. This exhibition showed off and celebrated America’s growing industrial strength and inventiveness with 200 buildings that housed over 30,000 exhibitors from around the world.

This large celebration was not the only way the Centennial was celebrated. Across the nation, cities like Laurel held their own events for the 100th anniversary. On July 4th, 1876, Laurel held a celebration described as “deafening” by the Baltimore Sun due to cannon firing, bells, steam whistles, and more. The Declaration of Independence was read aloud and a parade featuring a chariot, marchers representing the states and territories, mechanical and agricultural societies, and more took place in the city.

Interested in learning more about the Centennial? Drop by the Laurel Museum during our regular open hours Friday – Sunday at 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm to see our current exhibition “Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel’s Freedom Celebrations”!

Image Credit: Bird's eye view. Centennial international exhibition. 1876. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.