20080323 Emmitsburg prepares for Bell and History Days

For fellow history buffs – this event looks great:

Emmitsburg prepares for Bell and History Days

Originally published in the Frederick News-Post March 23, 2008
From Staff Reports

Courtesy Photo: This photo, from the Mount St. Mary’s University archives, shows a horse-drawn wagon and students from an earlier era in front of the Terrace, just above the site that is now Founder’s Plaza.

Emmitsburg is rolling out the red carpet.

On April 5 and 6, the heritage of this unique community along the northern border of Frederick County may be explored at numerous locations while traveling in style on a quaint motorized trolley.

Several historic sites, campuses and the local library have come together to present an array of free visitor opportunities during Bell and History Days, the annual opening weekend for Frederick County museums and historic sites.

Bell and History Days, a countywide event, is presented by the Frederick Historic Sites Consortium, with support from the following sponsors: The Daughters of Charity, The Frederick News-Post, Mount St. Mary's University and the National Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Foundation.

According to Colleen Remsberg, Bell and History Days committee chairwoman, Emmitsburg was selected as an area for special focus in 2008 because of a number of milestone anniversaries and to emphasize the countywide nature of the event.

"With Mount St. Mary's University celebrating its 200th anniversary, and preparations under way for next year's bicentennial of the arrival of Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, we knew this was a great opportunity for Bell and History Days and a tremendous location for special event programming," Remsberg said.

The free trolley shuttle, which runs on a continuous 30-minute loop, will drop off visitors at the following locations: National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes, Founder's Plaza on the Mount St. Mary's University campus, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and the Emmitsburg Community Center, where both the library and the Frederick County Fire and Rescue Museum are participating in Bell and History Days.

Visitor parking is available at the Grotto and the Seton Shrine. Because the trolley runs continuously from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 5 and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 6, visitors may disembark at any location and tour the site while waiting for the trolley to return to continue on to the next stop.

Seton links

The common thread of the life and legacy of Elizabeth Ann Seton links most of the participating sites.

The National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes, with trails lined with native greenery, statues and other devotional art, was developed in 1875 as a replica of the Lourdes shrine in France where, in 1858, an apparition of the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared.

[…]

More than 100 handbell ringers from eight Frederick County choirs will perform both mass-ring and solo selections. There is no charge and no reservations are necessary.

The program guide for Bell and History Days, including a map inset showing the Emmitsburg trolley route, is available at the Frederick Visitor Center at 19 E. Church St. in Frederick.

The brochures are also available at participating museums and the Mason-Dixon Discovery Center in Emmitsburg. For information, call 301-600-4047 or visit www.fredericktourism.org.

[…]

Read the entire article here: Emmitsburg prepares for Bell and History Days