Sharpsburg celebrates 255 years at Founder's Day weekend

SHARPSBURG — The Town of Sharpsburg took a step back in time Saturday.

Sharpsburg Founder's Day weekend was an especially exciting rewind for Mark Chapline, a direct descendent of Joseph Chapline, who founded Washington County's first town in 1763.

"His middle name is Joseph," said Mark's wife, Margaret Chapline, as the couple walked toward the town's square.

The Chaplines made the drive from their native Painsville, Ohio, to take part in the weekend's festivities. Mark said it was his first visit to the town, adding that communities in Ohio don't celebrate their founders the same way.

"We've just loved learning about the history," he said.

With blue skies and sunshine overhead, Saturday's activities included historic tours, lectures, music and crafts, as well as living history and period-appropriate demonstrations, all to commemorate the town's 255th birthday.

"It's been perfect," said Miriam Cunningham, a Founder's Day committee member. "The heat broke. We have a nice little breeze. It's been fantastic."

Committee Chairman Ed Beeler, who also serves on the town council, said the committee also had Chapline family descendents present from Oklahoma and Virginia.

"A lot of people just think Sharpsburg is the Battle of Antietam, but Sharpsburg dates back to the French and Indian War," he said.

Joseph Chapline was a lawyer, state representative, business man and military officer. He settled in the area around 1740, later laying out what became Sharpsburg on July 9, 1863, at the end of the French and Indian War.

A wreath-laying ceremony at his gravestone in the Mountain View Cemetery served as a kickoff to Saturday's events. The weekend concludes with a ceremony at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday morning.

Near the square, a group of people stood by as blacksmith Art Shanholtz demonstrated his craft. Boonsboro resident Patsy Ensminger, along with her daughter, Katie Wilkinson, and 10-year-old grandson, Rylan, were among the crowd.

"It's a beautiful day to be out and we wanted to do something fun," Ensminger said.

Wilkinson, who was visiting from Utah, said she enjoyed looking at the town's historic architecture, while Rylan said he found the blacksmith's work interesting.

The group stopped to grab lunch, but Ensminger hinted they might not make it out of town without stopping at the town's popular Nutter's Ice Cream shop, where a steady crowd could be seen much of the day.

Taking a hiatus after the 250th anniversary, town officials decided to revive the celebration this year. Beeler said he plans to make it an annual affair in the future.

"This is going to be a yearly event now because we feel this is what the town needs," he said.