Downtown in Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Jacob Engelbrecht
A Frederick Diarist on the National Road
— The Road That Built The Nation —
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 the 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 Revel 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 our family would have noticed it." In spite of some skeptics, the Barbara Fritchie legend lives on.
[Captions:]
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.
Erected by America's Byways; Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Communications • Roads & Vehicles • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the The Historic National Road series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1826.
Location. 39° 24.836′ N, 77° 24.881′ W. Marker is in Frederick, Maryland, in Frederick County. It is in Downtown. Marker is on West Patrick Street (Maryland Route 144) east of South Bentz Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 154 W Patrick St, Frederick MD 21701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. 1862 Antietam Campaign (here, next to this marker); Barbara Fritchie House (here, next to this marker);
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. This marker has replaced the linked marker. There are differences in the subtitle and attributed erecting organizations.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 30, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 32 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 30, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.