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Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine
Celebrating 50+ Years
Reflections: Historic Building Project Shared with MDCB Readers
By Suanne Woodring
Reminisce with us as we look back on the memories of a few of Washington County's residents. Excerpts featured here are from the current Summer 2025 issue.
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Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine: Sentinel of Washington County's Heritage
"...When the [Herald Mail] building was built in 1977 everything was “state of the art”. I had to chuckle at some of the descriptions like TV typewriters, for which we had not yet come up with terminology. By today's standards much of the equipment, etc. seems so antiquated. Compared to the equipment that the staff had been using at the old Herald Mail building it was a major upgrade...."
"....The construction of the new Herald-Mail Building was part of a larger renewal project within the downtown
business district. In 1974, a series of fires in the downtown— including a major department store—and the construction of the Long Meadow Shopping Center followed by the Valley Mall conspired to disrupt business in the downtown shopping area. In fact, two of the downtown’s biggest draws, Montgomery Ward and Eyerly’s Department Store had moved to the mall by 1976, as did other businesses. By then, Valley Mall attracted about 52 percent of all retail sales compared with downtown’s 13.5 percent. Another contributing factor was the decline of local industries and of the railroads that had once made Hagerstown the transportation hub of Washington County. In fact, the property was purchased in May 1976 by the Herald-Mail Company from the Washington County Railroad Company and had previously been used for industrial purposes, accommodating a rail yard and passenger station. In the spring of 1977, thirty-three business leaders—including Schurz Communications—contributed to the cost of hiring the nationally recognized Washington, DC marketing firm Hammer, Siler, and George to conduct a study. County planner Stuart Patz characterized the problem as a lack of investment in the downtown, pointing out that “it is burdened with some vacant, dilapidated structures which mar the image of downtown as an attractive place” to shop. Citing a $10 million decline in downtown sales between 1972 and 1976, Patz lamented the lack of investor or merchant confidence needed to grow downtown business...."
Pausing to Ponder:
Remembering The Herald Mail Building
By Catherine C. Lavoie and Tom Vitanza
