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October 16, 2020

The 1955 Fairchild National Sports Car Races

Close your eyes. Can you hear it? The roar of the engines? The screams of nearly 15,000 exhilarated and delighted fans? The deafening rumble of 200 cars surging by at speeds of 120 miles an hour? The twelfth race in the 1955 SCCA National Sports Car Championship season, the Fairchild National Sports Car Races took place at the Hagerstown Regional Airport on Sunday, October 16, 1955. The Fairchild National Sports Car Races consisted of seven separate races, all of which were run on a makeshift, 2.4 mile closed circuit track built on the runway. The first major event of its kind to take place in Hagerstown, the Fairchild National Sports Car Races was sponsored by the Fairchild Aircraft Employee Recreation Association.  Although it wasn’t technically a “pro” race (the drivers were considered amateur racers, and they weren’t competing for purses, but for trophies, plaques, and silver serving trays), the Fairchild National Sports Car Races drew more than 200 participants nationwide! Most notable among the participants was Jim Kimberly, William C. (Big Bill) Spear, World Champion Phil Hill, Briggs Cunningham, Paul O’Shea, and the Boston, Massachusetts speed ace Sherwood Johnston. In addition to the racers, the event garnered a crowd of […]
January 17, 2020

For weather-related cancellations and closings, please consult our Facebook page.

Regularly updated information about closings and event cancellations can be found on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/washcomdhistoricalsociety/.
January 7, 2020

The WCHS will be closing today, Tuesday January 7th, at 2 p.m. following our inclement weather policy.

November 5, 2019

See Washington County in the Movies! A new WWII Era film from the WCHS will be shown Sunday, November 10th. Click here for more details.

Using actual footage collected from local residents, the Historical Society has produced a movie-length film depicting life in Washington County during the post-war years of the 1940s and 1950s. Relive the lives of the residents of Washington County during and after World War II, as the soldiers return home and families blossom and reorient their activities to civilian and domestic life. Viewers might recognize old friends and neighbors as they celebrate holidays, engage in school activities, participate in parades, enjoy leisure time, shop, and earn a living. The film features seventy-year-old scenes of Hagerstown, Clear Spring, Funkstown, Williamsport, Keedysville and more. Please join us for a nostalgic stroll down Memory Lane! Tickets: $10/person. Available online by clicking here or at the Maryland Theatre Box Office, 301-790-2000.