Coins Commemorate 150th Anniversary
Garrett County, MD
Est. 1872
To commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Garrett County, Maryland, families will be able to collect a complimentary coin featuring Mountain Lake Park and the Victorian Chautauqua seal on the back. A special display will be at the festival highlighting the County’s history.
One free coin per household while supplies last.
Mountain Lake Park is one of eight Garrett County municipalities partnering with the 150th Anniversary Committee to showcase Maryland’s largest and westernmost county in the state. The face of the coin features John Work Garrett, for whom the county is named. On the back, Mountain Lake Park’s founding year is centered in a banner over the newly established Victorian Chautauqua flourish. Arching over the top is the phrase, “Maryland’s Original Chautauqua.” The community was the second Chautauqua resort in the nation to mirror the original Chautauqua in New York. A classic egg and dart pattern borders the design to fit the aesthetic of the town’s history.
Each incorporated town was invited to submit a design highlighting its own history. Details are pending for a culminating community celebration at the Garrett County Fairgrounds on September 17, 2022. Following this special event, full sets of coins will be available for purchase as part of a fundraising program with the Garrett County Historical Society and Ruth Enlow Libraries.
Collect the entire set.
Attend each municipal event to collect all eight designs.
Founding Garrett County
Garrett County is named after John Work Garrett (1820–1884), who served as president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for three decades. His climb to success began as a merchant and banker. The B&O became one of the most important American railroads by the time Garrett died, and he and his daughter, Mary Garrett, would also become noted philanthropists. He provided crucial support for the Union cause during the Civil War, expanded the railroad to reach Chicago, Illinois, and competed with the Pennsylvania Railroad for access to New York City.
The first mountaintop train station along the B&O line is located in Oakland, the county’s seat. This single-stop opened travel and commerce to little-traveled territories in the wilds of Western Maryland. Other depots in Mountain Lake Park, Loch Lynn, and Deer Park were convenient stops for travelers, so many hotels built by the railroad and privately owned boarding homes popped up to accommodate the increasing demand. As Maryland’s last county to be formed and what was originally part of Allegany County, Garrett’s eastern border was struck squarely where the state narrows between Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It was December 4, 1872, when Maryland formed the 23rd and final county in the state. The Allegheny Mountains became a beautiful setting for this rural community, which is nestled on the western flank of the Appalachian Mountain Range. Hoye-Crest, a summit reaching 3,360 feet above sea level, is along Backbone Mountain, the highest point in Maryland. Often referred to as “America in Miniature,” Maryland boasts varied climates and natural features from the shores of Ocean City to Garrett’s largest man-made body of water, Deep Creek Lake.
A Former Face
The Garrett County Courthouse is a 1907-1908 neoclassical Renaissance Revival masonry structure with a central rotunda. The three stories are perched high in Oakland, the county seat. The former sloping front lawn was replaced with the current police headquarters and jail—many long for it to be returned to its original grandeur.
The Eastern Continental Divide runs along portions of Backbone Mountain, which distinguishes Garrett County’s two watersheds from the rest of the state. The western part of the divide, drained by the Youghiogheny River, is the only water within the Mississippi River drainage basin. All other parts of the county flow to the Chesapeake Bay basin. Sharing two watersheds places an important environmental responsibility on Garrett County and its residents.
The National Register of Historic Places lists 20 locations within Garrett County.
The celebration’s official partners include Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, Ruth Enlow Library System, Garrett County Historical Society, and Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area.
