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    • Hours & Directions
    • Museum Gift Shop
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  • Event Photos
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HANDS ON HISTORY at the RHM

STEROSCOPES - THE ORIGINAL 3-D

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Stereocard " Pickers in Cotton Field"
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Holmes Stereoscope

The idea of a looking at the world from a 3-D perspective started about 180 years ago, when an English gent patented the idea.  That idea came to be known as the stereoscope, which is an optical device that allows you to create an illusion of depth from 2 flat images photographed at slightly different angles.

Several year later in 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.  (the poet) not to be confused with his son, Oliver Wendel Holmes Jr. (Supreme Court Justice) deliberately published (not patented) a design so everyone could use it.  It was a simple, easy to use hand-held device that used a paper card or “stereograph “. Up until this point, stereoscopes used mirrors, were expensive and the images were made of glass images. 


​Stereographs covered a wide range of subjects, the most popular being views of landscapes and monuments. Steroscopes and their picture cards enabled both adults and children to travel around the world without leaving their parlor.


The stereoscope was the forerunner of the “View Master” originally introduced at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and then produced for mass market in the 1960’s and again in the 1990's by Fisher Price for Twentieth Century Disney.
It’s a great example of how each “generation of scientists builds upon the discoveries and inventions of those that have come before and reimagines them for new and improved uses”.
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More about Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (1809-1894) Writer, doctor, and educator, he earned a BA at Harvard University in 1829 and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1836. He was part of a group of New England-based writers called the Fireside Poets, which included William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, James Russell Lowe and John Greenleaf Whittier. 

Famous Quote: "I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving". 

More about his son,  Oliver Wendel Holmes, Jr. (1841-1935) Of his many accomplishments, he served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1902-1932, and served in the Civil War from 1861-1865 with the 20th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. 
Holmes wrote some of the most significant free speech decisions ever handed down by the Court. In the process he attempted to identify the fine line between protected and unprotected speech with his Clear and Present Danger test in which he used the now classic example of an individual falsely shouting “Fire” in a theater as an example of speech that was “substantively evil."


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Our Mission

To preserve the past, educate and stimulate public awareness of the rural heritage in Washington County Maryland prior to 1940.

Who We Are

The Washington County Rural Heritage Museum is managed by the Friends of the Washington County Rural Heritage Museum. "Friends" is a tax-exempt non-profit organization incorporated in the State of Maryland. It is administered by a volunteer board of directors who keep the museum open for tours and special events.  All funds raised by the "Friends" are dedicated to the Museum.

What to See

When you step through the doors of our Transportation museum, Early Farm Equipment museum and Early Life museum you are transported back into the 19th lifestyle that existed in Washington County Maryland.   The Transportation museum's stellar collection of bicycles and automobiles, many of which were manufactured in Hagerstown, reflects the rich history of Transportation in Washington County. Hagerstown became known as The Hub City because it served as a major crossroad for many railroad lines, including  Western Maryland, Baltimore & Ohio, and Norfolk & Western. The Transportation museum has the only remaining Dahlgren horse drawn carriages and the Crawford Bicycle collection.  Together, the museum's three buildings tell the real life story of how people lived, farmed, worked and travelled.

The Rural Heritage Village is a short walk behind the Rural Transportation building. Here you will be able to explore several log homes, a Doctor's office, Cobbler's shop, Broom Maker's shop, Country Store and Blacksmith shop.  These buildings were moved from their original locations and are preserved in their native condition.

Walking up the hill behind the Rural Village is the Rural Heritage Homestead.  On this site is a windmill, two log homes, an outdoor drying shed, brick fired wood oven, a pavilion to house a sawmill, and a German 4-Square Garden with heirloom plants with a "three sisters" patch of corn, beans and squash.


When you first arrive, please check in by signing the visitor guest log in the Early Life Museum/Welcome Center.  You will be greeted by a volunteer and will be able to choose a self-guided tour or guided tour. There is ample parking in front of all the museums.
Please email info.ruralheritagemuseum@gmail.com,  or call at least 48 hours in advance to discuss your special needs.

​For more things to do in Washington County, visit www.visithagerstown.com  

  School Field Trips,  Scout Groups & Group Tours

We offer programming that includes some of the finest 19th century and early 20th century collections of our local heritage for students of all grade levels during the week and weekends by appointment.  Students will learn about our region's beginnings and history and how our rural and agricultural heritage continues to play a role in Washington County today. We are in the process of developing hands-on learning experiences to assist educators in meeting the state standards for 5th grade social studies students in Maryland.  Please contact us for more information.

While there is no admission fee, donations are always appreciated as we rely upon them to help offset our programming costs for public school tours, maintain our exhibits and keep our museum open to the public.

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All images copyrighted to the Rural Heritage Museum of Washington County Maryland  2023