SHARPSBURG, Md. — In light of Juneteenth on June 19th, Tolson’s Chapel in Sharpsburg held a Juneteenth celebration at the historic chapel on Thursday. This annual holiday celebrates the freeing of America’s last enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19th, 1865. Celebrations took place across the country throughout the week of June 19th to honor, commemorate and reflect on the history of this day.
This event featured displays walking through the events of the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth as it relates to Washington County and its extensive civil war history. Various pieces of art and historical artifacts could be found in and around the chapel, along with displays of the evolution of Tolson’s Chapel throughout its tenure. In the rear of the church lies a small cemetery, honoring the lives of several African-American slaves from the area.
Located just minutes from the Antietam Battlefield on High Street in Sharpsburg, this little chapel, despite its small size, is abundant with history. Designated as a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 2021, the story of Tolson’s Chapel dates back to 1865 with its founder, John R. Tolson. A Methodist preacher, Tolson began construction on this log-and-wood chapel in 1866, just one-year post-slavery in Maryland.
By 1868, the building was used as a school for African-American children and remained in use as a school until 1899. After the Chapel’s founder passed away in 1870, the little church was known as “Tolson’s Chapel.”
LocalNews1 spoke to a few individuals helping to maintain the church, Sherry, Bonnie and Loretta. Sherry said that to be able to hold such an event at Tolson’s Chapel made her feel, “very joyous that we’ve come so far, but all of us still have a long way to go. For two days so far, we were all able to unite and love on each other, respect each other.”
Those managing Tolson’s Chapel welcome and encourage visitors to tour the chapel and learn something new. To learn more about Tolson’s Chapel, readers can visit, https://tolsonschapel.org.
