Laurel Historical Society

Happy Labor Day from the Laurel Historical Society!

In the late 1800s, the average laborer worked in mills, factories, and mines across the country, facing unsafe working conditions and 12-hour days, 7 days a week. In Laurel, working in the cotton mill was among the top jobs for both men and women in the 1870 census. Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894, after years of strikes and rallies led by the labor movement. Today we celebrate workers in every field and thank you for your hard work!

Image: Workers outside of the Laurel Cotton Mill, date unknown. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

The Laurel Historical Society is honored to partner with the City of Laurel - Government to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of September 11.

Join us next Thursday, September 10 at 6:00 PM, for a free program in the Laurel Municipal Center Council Chambers (8103 Sandy Spring Rd, Laurel, MD 20707) featuring guest presenters Wayne Dzwonchyk and Lorraine Brooks, who both have deeply personal connections to 9/11. The program will also offer the opportunity for residents who join to share their own reflections and stories about the event to be captured by LHS and archived for future generations. For more information, or to register for the Laurel Remembers 9/11 panel presentation, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/LaurelRemembers

Then, on September 11 at 6:00 p.m., join the City of Laurel, also located in the Laurel Municipal Center Chambers at 8103 Sandy Spring Road, for a special commemorative program honoring and remembering those we lost on that tragic day.

Image: Scans of The Laurel Leader on September 20, 2001. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

This month, the Laurel Historical Society will mount a temporary exhibit, “Laurel Remembers 9/11” at the Laurel Museum (817 Main St, Laurel, MD 20707) from September 4 to September 27, 2026.

Visit LHS’s exhibit that examines Laurel’s connections to the tragic events of 9/11, focused on Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon. Several Laurel residents were directly impacted by this event, including Max Beilke, who passed along with 71 other Pentagon employees, and Wayne Dzwonchyk, who was at the Pentagon during the event. For many Laurel residents, the third connection is the most unnerving. Beginning August 16, 2001, hijackers of Flight 77 gathered in Laurel, staying in its hotels and frequenting local businesses while they prepared for 9/11.

Featured in the exhibit are copies of the Laurel Leader from the event period and a book of remembrance signed by residents in the days after 9/11 and again on the 10th anniversary. Visitors are invited to add their own recollections to the remembrance book during the exhibit.

Image: The Valencia Motel, one of the hotels the Flight 77 hijackers were seen frequenting. Credit: Cristian Lopez, 2026.

Today is the first day of school for many Laurel residents so we are taking a look back in time!

The first image is of Laurel Elementary School's Miss Lila Testerman's 5th Grade Class in 1940 outside playing on a row seesaws. In the second image, Laurel High School students in 1914/1915 can be seen working on wood projects.

We hope everyone has a great school year!

Images: Both images are part of the Laurel Historical Society Collection.

Tickets for our new fundraiser Heritage on Tap: A Laurel Oktoberfest are officially on sale! This festive fall event will feature local breweries, Oktoberfest fare, German wines, a variety of Casino games, and more.

Date: Saturday, October 17 | 4 to 8 PM
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-on-tap-a-laurel-oktoberfest
All guests must be 21+ years of age.

Heritage on Tap is LHS's fun new fundraiser without the greater formality and higher ticket prices of our Annual Gala! Feedback from past guests and community members highlighted the need for a more casual event with lower ticket prices, and we heard you. We are planning to alternate yearly between a formal spring gala and a casual fall event.

*Each ticket includes $200 in "Fun Bucks" so all guests can participate in our casino games, from blackjack to horse racing. Additional "Fun Bucks" may be purchased prior to the event ($20 for $200 in "Fun Bucks" or $40 for $500 in "Fun Bucks").

Questions? Learn more at our website: https://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org/heritage-on-tap.html

Our Speaker Series returns next month with a special hybrid presentation by the Laurel History Boys on Laurel's Centennial Celebration, a precursor to the city's Bicentennial events.

Thursday, September 24 | 6:00 to 7:00 PM
Cost: FREE (advanced registration required)
Location: Laurel Pool Room and Zoom (hybrid event)
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/speaker-series-laurels-1970-centennial-celebration-tickets-1997019692659

During this presentation, Kevin Leonard of The Laurel History Boys will present on Laurel’s 1970 Centennial Celebration. In an extraordinary display of community involvement, Laurel’s centennial celebration in 1970 spanned eight days, was managed by a Who’s Who of the Laurel business community, staged events in every corner of the city, raised tens of thousands of dollars from local businesses who lined up to sign checks and be sponsors, and, most impressively, produced a massive stage play about Laurel’s history that included a cast of almost 400 residents.

Image: Workers building the stage for the Laurel Centennial play. Laurel Historical Society Collection.

The Laurel Historical Society will be at the 2026 Laurel Book Fair presented by the Laurel History Boys at Oliver's Old Towne Tavern!

Join us on Sunday, August 23 from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM to meet local authors, enjoy food and drinks, and celebrate local history. We hope to see you there!

Thank you very much to all who attended the GSK Science in the Summer Camp with us this week, and a special thank you to for their incredible program! We had a ton of fun learning how to Be a Chemist and explore the importance of chemistry in different fields, including medicine, manufacturing, art, and environmental conservation through hands– on activities and experiments.

It has been a great summer learning with all of our campers, and we are already looking forward to next year!

Images: Instructor Mr. Fran leads campers in cosmetic and forensic chemistry activities.

LHS's walking tours return this fall with our Main Street Walking Tour: Part Two!

Dates: Saturday, September 26 and October 24 | 10:00 AM
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/main-street-walking-tour-part-two

Join us as we explore more of Laurel’s historic district, this time with a focus on the Civil War, commercial growth, and people who inhabited Laurel. This tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and covers approximately 1 mile.

This guided walking tour will begin at Laurel’s historic Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station (now MARC) and follow down Main Street, featuring the site of a Civil War encampment, the Citizens National Bank Building, and the location of the Avondale Mill before it burned down in 1991. This tour will examine the evolution of the town as a commercial district in the 19th century through discussion of historic structures that housed businesses and families, and how fires shaped Laurel.

Image: Tom Rudkin, Eddie Remley, and Maurice and Julia Quill standing outside Laurel's B&O Station circa 1912. Laurel Historical Society Collection.