Tolson’s Chapel is a small Methodist church built in 1866 by the Sharpsburg African American community. From 1868-1869, the chapel also served as a Freedmen’s Bureau School and then as the Sharpsburg Colored School until 1899. The chapel continued into the twentieth century, but closed in 1998 after the last member of the congregation passed away. In 2003, Friends of Tolson’s Chapel began restoration of the building and its cemetery, becoming a nonprofit in 2006. Today, Friends of Tolson’s Chapel preserves and interprets the history of the chapel and its people within the national context of reconstruction and segregation in American history.
“We are a small, all-volunteer organization with a big purpose,” said Edie Wallace, current president of Friends of Tolson’s Chapel. “This opportunity to enlarge our circle of friends and strengthen our fundraising capabilities through the Community Foundation of Washington County is an important step for the future of Tolson’s Chapel.”
Donations may be made to Friends of Tolson’s Chapel Fund at the Community Foundation by sending a check to 37 S. Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740 or by credit card on the Community Foundation’s website at www.cfwcmd.org.
About Community Foundation of Washington County MD, Inc.
Community Foundation of Washington County MD, Inc. has a five-year annualized investment return that makes it one of the top performing community foundations in the country. The Foundation has over $45 million in assets and has distributed more than $22 million in grants and scholarships since 1997. Donors can support any of its 350 funds or create a charitable fund of their own. To learn how to create a fund at the Community Foundation, please visit www.cfwcmd.org, or call (301) 745-5210.