Downtown in Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Jacob Engelbrecht
A Frederick Diarist on the National Road
| | The Historic National Road - The Road That Built The Nation | |
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 3, 2007
1. Jacob Engelbrecht Marker
In 1826, Jacob Engelbrecht moved to the house across the street near Carroll Creek. He began reporting on the National Road cavalcade that was going by his front door. His priceless diary recorded everything he saw. Travelers he observed included:
The famous:
General Winfield Scott, Presidents Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison and Senator Henry Clay rode through, traveling to the Capital City.
The ordinary:
A drove of turkeys amounting to nearly four hundred from Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania just now passed the door on their way to Washington City. They go at the rate of 8 miles per day.
And in 1862, Civil War armies:
For three days I was nearly continually looking at the Rebel army passing and nearly the whole army passed our door.
For a half century, Mr. Engelbrecht had a front row seat to American history. His diary recorded everything he saw, and is now in the collection of the Historical Society of Frederick County.
(Sidebar):
Barbara Fritchie
Local legends distinguish Barbara Fritchie for defiantly waving the American flag at Confederate troops in 1862. Jacob Engelbrecht, who never saw the event, was an early voice that disputed the story. An 1869 diary entry claimed, should anything like that have occurred I am certain someone in
this page online
Erected by Americas By-Ways.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #09 William Henry Harrison, and the The Historic National Road series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1826.
Location. This marker has been replaced by another marker nearby. It was located near 39° 24.838′ N, 77° 24.876′ W. Marker was in Frederick, Maryland, in Frederick County. It was in Downtown. It was on West Patrick Street (State Highway 144), on the left when traveling west. Located between the Barbara Fritchie house and Mullinix Park, along Patrick Street (A one way street to the west at this point). Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 154 West Patrick Street, Frederick MD 21701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in the Washington Metropolitan Area and in Central Maryland. It was also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it was in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: May 17, 1943 (here, next to this marker); 1862 Antietam Campaign (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Barbara Fritchie House (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Jacob Engelbrecht (a
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 3, 2007
2. The Barbara Fritchie House
The Jacob Engelbrecht marker is on the far right, facing away from the camera. Living across the street, for all intents, Engelbrecht would certainly have been a first hand account, if the story surrounding Fritchie had occurred as in the legend.
Other markers no longer nearby. Barbara Fritchie House (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named 1862 Antietam Campaign (was here, next to this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. A portrait of Jacob Engelbrecht carries the caption, The son of a Hessian prisoner of war during the American Revolution, Jacob Engelbrecht (1797-1878) was a keen observer who left behind a vivid record of life along the 19th century National Road.
A page from the Jacob Engelbrecht Diary illustrates how important his daily comments are to the history of Frederick, is pictured below the portrait.
The sidebar contains a portrait of Barbara Fritchie. The background of the marker is the National Road at Fairview Inn which is the standard
Photographed by Craig Swain, September 3, 2007
3. Carroll Creek
Just to the north of the Fritchie House, and the site of the Engelbrecht house, Carroll Creek passes through several city parks as it weaves through downtown Frederick. The dam here forms against a retaining wall which gives the appearance similar to the stone arch bridges often seen along the National Road.
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has been replaced with the linked marker. There are differences in secondary subtitle and attributed erecting organizations.
Also see . . .
1. The Diary of Jacob Engelbrecht. Unknown website PDF (Submitted on March 16, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
2. Jacob Engelbrecht. Find A Grave website entry (Submitted on March 16, 2022, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Credits. This page was last revised on October 18, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 24, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,263 times since then and 95 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 24, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
