Western Maryland

Some, however, stay. Joined by neighbors and strangers alike, their voices harmonize with the popping corks of wine bottles, sizzling steaks, and musical instruments to fill the interiors of restaurants, watering holes, and artsy hangouts. In the morning, the entire process starts over.

For far too long, it was nearly silent in downtown Hagerstown. Now it’s never quiet, and all the commotion is music to the city’s ears.

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Like many other municipalities, Hagerstown’s historic city center boomed during the early 20th century and post-war periods. The area was alive with businesses offering goods and services for every imaginable necessity and desire. It was a prosperous era. It was the good old days.

It also didn’t last.

In 1974, when the Valley Mall opened on the outskirts of town, many of the downtown’s occupants bolted for those greener pastures and 3,000 parking spaces. Some went under.

A handful of anchor retailers and restaurateurs, though, including Bikle’s Ski Shop, Carol & Co., Hoffman Clothiers, the Schmankerl Stube, and R. Bruce Carson Jewelers, remained downtown and prospered, but watched in frustration as their surroundings fell into disrepair.

By the mid 1990s, it was evident that change was needed. A few civic initiatives—including filing for Maryland’s first Arts and Entertainment District status—were passed. It soon became clear that Hagerstown’s rising would be built on a foundation of development, festivals, the arts, and, rather prominently, higher education.

Two hundred years ago, the address now known as 32 West Washington Street was home to the Globe Tavern. Strategically located along the National Pike (U.S. Route 40), the venue saw many of the fledging city’s most prominent residents gather to discuss and debate the issues of the day. It even welcomed George Washington.

Fast-forward two centuries, and the hostelry’s former location is still home to discussions and debates. In 2005, the University System of Maryland at Hagerstown opened its doors to regional students. Today, the 77,000-square-foot facility offers programs from five state universities and encompasses over two dozen classrooms, six computer labs, three nursing labs, and a proper college green.

It’s appropriate that an institution whose purpose is to prepare individuals for the future really did the same for the city. Residents and outside investors saw the stability that the school (as well as anchor businesses and a renovated square) conveyed. The next two years would see a flurry of construction unknown in Hagerstown for decades.

“Possible investors look at all of that,” says Schmankerl Stube proprietor Charlie Sekula. “They [want to] see that there are established businesses that care about their communities. I think they have a good foundation in investing in a community like this.”

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Mike Deming was one of those attracted to Hagerstown. Six years ago, the 30-year-old father of two made a four-unit foreclosure his first project in the Hub City. In 2006, he helped open Duffy’s on Potomac and AVA—along with the now-shuttered 43 South—in a revamped property on South Potomac Street.

“The area is still a commutable distance to Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Baltimore, yet the cost of living has remained below these high-growth areas,” says Deming. “Additionally, the historic fabric of the downtown lends itself to tremendous redevelopment opportunities. The redevelopment has taken on a momentum of its own.”

Spread across three floors of the restored Schindel-Rohrer building, Duffy’s and AVA were like nothing the city had ever seen. Both establishments brought a metropolitan elegance, style, and brazenness to Hagerstown.