By TAMELA BAKER, The Herald-Mail

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Most of us would probably assume that Hagerstown grew outward from an unique group of heaps across the Sq. that have been first plotted by Jonathan Hager when he based the city within the 1760s.

However due to the preservation of an early Nineteenth-century plat, Hagerstonians can quickly see for themselves how the city started to blossom within the years after the American Revolution.

After almost two years within the arms of an skilled doc conservator, the plat and different paperwork — together with a uncommon copy of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s proclamation to Marylanders within the days previous the Battle of Antietam — are lastly residence with the Washington County Historic Society.

Plans are to maintain the fragile originals saved and preserved, however show copies for everybody to see.

“My greatest guess is the plat plan was generated within the early 1800s,” mentioned society President Invoice Maharay. “It descended by way of the Hager household; it’s on vellum, and it reveals the event of Hagerstown by way of numerous progress patterns.

“The unique format of the city was mainly the primary east and west blocks of Washington Road, Potomac Road and Franklin, that was it,” he mentioned.

This plat reveals the place the city was increasing because it developed.

“And it’s not accomplished in an orderly style,” Maharay mentioned. “What I discover most attention-grabbing is the water supply for the city was the stream that begins up over by the place the submit workplace is. It’s now all underground, however it reveals that stream sample. After which the world on North Potomac the place it rises up previous Franklin was referred to as the ‘wholesome’ a part of city due to sanitation.”

Numerous notations on the plat present the place early church buildings and companies have been, and one particulars the approaching railroad.

However the plat clearly predates Hagerstown’s “Hub Metropolis” standing.

Society officers aren’t certain the way it turned a part of its assortment, however knew this piece of Hagerstown historical past needed to be preserved.

And there have been another paperwork that wanted to be restored and preserved as properly — together with correspondence with former Gov. William Paca, who additionally was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and one in every of a handful of identified copies of the doc Lee used to ingratiate Accomplice troops with Marylanders throughout his northern marketing campaign in 1862.

It got here from what Maharay calls the “Seibert assortment,” saved over time by the Seibert household of Clear Spring.

When a member of the family who had inherited the gathering requested if the society have been within the supplies, “for sure, I mentioned, ‘Completely!’” Maharay recalled. “And among the many objects that the household had saved was the Lee proclamation.

“As greatest as I can decide, the Museum of the Confederacy (in Richmond) has a duplicate; the Maryland Historic Society has a duplicate,” Maharay mentioned.

He believes there most likely is no less than yet another.

A former curator on the society advisable Janice Ellis, who had labored together with her husband on the Smithsonian, to do the preservation work.

“Janice got here and noticed all of the objects and defined the very intense course of that she does, and we have been so impressed together with her,” mentioned historic society Govt Director Robyn Sumner.

However conserving the paperwork has been an costly — and prolonged — proposition, Maharay and Sumner mentioned. Sumner mentioned the society had a $10,000 contract with Ellis for the work, however hadn’t seen the ultimate invoice.

They plan to cowl a lot of the fee with grant cash, however the society is also accepting donations.

Ellis has had an extended profession in conserving historic books and paperwork, together with for the New York Public Library, and a prolonged affiliation with the Smithsonian after she accomplished graduate work at Columbia College. She works independently now from a lab in her Silver Spring, Md., residence.

It’s full of work tables, computer systems, some fairly severe high-tech magnifiers and an enormous vintage paper trimmer that she makes use of to chop supplies for protecting coverings. Cabinets alongside the partitions are full of supplies to protect numerous sorts of papers with out harming them.

It’s meticulous work. She’s had the Hagerstown plat, for instance, for almost two years.

When Maharay and Sumner arrived not too long ago to choose up the paperwork, Ellis defined learn how to deal with and retailer them — and why. It may be a bit technical, however the backside line is clear arms, a delicate contact and protecting folders.

Totally different adhesives are used for repairs and preservation, relying on the kind of paper and ink of the doc.

Together with the paperwork, Ellis returned somewhat packet of particles she had faraway from the floor of the plat.

“All the pieces that you just take off has potential for DNA evaluation,” she mentioned. “It’s a brand new know-how that they’re simply beginning to use now.”

So all that … stuff … might inform who in Hagerstown’s early historical past had dealt with the plat?

“All of this floor grime that simply appears like grime not solely is de facto useful to people who find themselves doing analysis on animal husbandry (the vellum is probably going made out of sheepskin), … but additionally, it’s gotten so refined now that they will choose up the DNA of the customers,” Ellis mentioned.

Ellis informed The Herald-Mail she’d all the time had a love of artwork, and pursuits in craft and sciences. Her profession has allowed her to mix all of that whereas salvaging useful historic objects.

“It’s a must to know somewhat in regards to the historical past of the item, clearly, somewhat in regards to the materials science — what made it fail within the first place? And also you need your repairs to be sympathetic with the unique, however you don’t need it to set it up for a second failure,” she mentioned.

“So that you don’t do it the identical method the unique craftsman did it, as a result of that failed … it’s loads of problem-solving, however with the attention of an artist and the hand of an artist, and hopefully the thoughts of a historian and scientist.”

And when she’s engaged on one in every of these paperwork, does she ever need to simply go analysis the story behind it?

“YES! Oh sure, oh sure. Yeah. I imply, that’s a part of the enjoyment of it,” Ellis mentioned. “And generally we discover issues that the curators didn’t even know, which is de facto pretty.”

A undertaking that notably affected her, she mentioned, was a request from a lady who introduced her paperwork so tightly folded the proprietor couldn’t inform open them to search out out what they have been.

As Ellis labored with the paperwork, she found they have been the manumission papers — paperwork granting authorized freedom — for the proprietor’s enslaved ancestor.

“While you see how a lot data they will discover on this beaten-up unique factor, it makes you assume three and 4 occasions about what you alter (to be able to protect them). And generally, purchasers need it to look new. And it’s like, you don’t need it to look new, you already know, you don’t need to costume your grandmother to appear to be Woman Gaga. You need your grandmother to appear to be your grandmother.”

One of many objects conserved for the Washington County Historic Society is a uncommon copy of Gen. Robert E. Lee’s proclamation to the residents of Maryland originally of the Maryland Marketing campaign in September 1862, which culminated within the Battle of Antietam. Right here’s what Lee informed them:

It’s proper that you must know the aim that introduced the Military underneath my command inside the limits of your State, as far as that goal considerations yourselves.

The Folks of the Accomplice States have lengthy watched with the deepest sympathy the wrongs and outrages which have been inflicted upon the residents of a Commonwealth, allied to the States of the South by the strongest social, political and industrial ties.

They’ve seen with profound indignation their sister State disadvantaged of each proper, and decreased to the situation of a conquered Province.

Beneath the pretense of supporting the Structure, however in violation of its most beneficial provisions, your residents have been arrested and imprisoned upon no cost, and opposite to all types of regulation; the devoted and manly protest towards this outrage made by the venerable and illustrious Marylanders to whom in higher days, no residents appealed for proper useless, was handled with scorn and contempt; the federal government of your chief metropolis has been usurped by armed strangers; your legislature has been dissolved by the illegal arrest of its members; freedom of the press and of speech, of the Federal Govt, and residents ordered to be tried by a army fee for what they could dare to talk.

Believing that the Folks of Maryland possessed a spirit too lofty to undergo such a authorities, the folks of the south have lengthy wished to assist you in throwing off this overseas yoke, to allow you to once more benefit from the inalienable rights of free males, and restore independence and sovereignty to your State.

In obedience to this want, our Military has come amongst you, and is ready to help you with the facility of its arms in regaining the rights of which you could have been despoiled.

This, Residents of Maryland, is our mission, as far as you might be involved.

No constraint upon your free will is meant, no intimidation is allowed.

Throughout the limits of this Military, no less than, Marylanders shall as soon as extra take pleasure in their historic freedom of thought and speech.

We all know no enemies amongst you, and can shield all of each opinion.

It’s so that you can determine your future, freely and with out constraint.

This military will respect your alternative no matter it might be, and whereas the Southern folks will rejoice to welcome you to your pure place amongst them, they are going to solely welcome you whenever you come of your personal free will.

R. E. Lee, Normal Commanding.

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