WCHS Adopt an Artifact: The Old Hager Mill

Artifact: The Old Hager Mill, oil on canvas, by Linda E. Wert, 1860-1862

Amount needed to raise: $850.00

The Washington County Historical Society (WCHS) announces the launch of a new Adopt an Artifact program for 2024. This program is a component of WCHS’s larger Curating Community initiative to help increase public engagement while also making improvements to the Miller House Museum and museum collection.

Staff and volunteers have worked together to select the first items to be a part of the program based on the condition of the item, the connection with the item to Hagerstown and Washington County, the information available about the item, and the associated cost. Once the funds are raised for an item, the work will be contracted and another item will be selected from the collection.

The first item chosen from the WCHS collection for the Adopt an Artifact program is this wonderful local scene by artist Linda E. Wert, titled, The Old Hager Mill, 1861 to 1865. Wert was born in Millersburg, PA, and attended the Hagerstown Female Seminary in the 1860s, where she may have painted this as part of her studies. The painting is in need of both cleaning and restoration. This work is estimated to cost $850.00. You can help preserve a piece of local history by making a donation towards this “adoption” of The Old Hager Mill painting by Linda E. Wert, oil on canvas, 1860-1862. Anyone who contributes to this artifact adoption will be invited to an exclusive unveiling and reception at the Miller House, once the restoration work is complete.

Donor of painting: Christopher G. Snyder, 1966, in memory of Suzanne Snyder, the artist's niece.

Historical Marker Database for the Hagerstown Female Seminary: Hagerstown Female Seminary Historical Marker (hmdb.org)