Hager House and Museum

Hager House and Museum. . , When German immigrant and founder of Hagerstown, Jonathan Hager, arrived in this country in 1736, western Maryland area was frontier. Maryland’s colonial governor was offering cheap land to those willing to settle here. In 1739, Hager obtained 200 acres which he called “Hager's Fancy” and began building this home. He presented his new bride, German neighbor Elizabeth Kershner, with their new home in 1740., Hager House’s 22" stone walls offered protection from attack and the elements. Rye straw and mud filler between floors and partitions provided insulation. Two cool springs under the house made the basement a pleasant retreat on hot summer days., Jonathan Hager grew prosperous here. He opened a trading post in his new home and acquired more land. In 1745, he sold “Hager’s Fancy” to Jacob Rohrer for a substantial profit. Hager House remained in the Rohrer family until 1944 when it was purchased by the Washington County Historical Society. It was presented to the City of Hagerstown in 1954 and was opened to the public in 1962. , Today, restored and furnished, Hager House offers a glimpse of 18th century life. The adjacent Hager Museum houses an extensive collection of period artifacts, including many items discovered during the restoration of the Hager House. , Little Heiskell. The creation of a German tinsmith named Heiskell, “Little Heiskell" is a Hessian soldier weather vane. Little Heiskel has become the symbol of the City of Hagerstown. The weather vane, now on permanent display at the Hager Museum, once adorned the cupola atop City Hall. During the Civil War, a Confederate sharpshooter reportedly fired a mini-hall through Little Heiskell's “heart.”