Laurel Historical Society

Heritage on Tap: A Laurel Oktoberfest is this month on October 17! This festive fall event will feature local craft beers, Oktoberfest-inspired fare, German wines, casino games, friendly competitions, and more all while raising critical funds to support LHS’s mission to preserve Laurel’s past for the future.

Date: Saturday, October 17 | 4 to 8 PM
Where: Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center (7120 Contee Road, Laurel, MD 20707)
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heritage-on-tap-a-laurel-oktoberfest

Please note that there will be no day-of ticket sales.
All guests must be 21+ years of age.

For more information, visit our website: https://www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org/heritage-on-tap.html

Thank you so much to everyone who joined LHS in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at our Children's Day event last Saturday! We had a fantastic time crafting, dancing, and learning with everyone.

If you missed the event and are interested in learning more about the history of Hispanic Heritage Month in Laurel, drop by the Laurel Museum to view our current exhibition Beyond the 4th: Stories of Laurel's Freedom Celebrations.

Images: Visitors learn to folklórico dance.
Local author Raul Cisneros reads his bilingual children's book The Woodpecker's Headache to an audience.
Visitors craft Mexican tissue paper flowers, play lotería, and color.

Join us tomorrow, September 26th from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM for our FREE Children's Day celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Stop by to explore Hispanic heritage through games, food, and dancing. Make sure to drop by before 2:00 PM, as LHS will also be hosting local author Raul Cisneros for a reading of his bilingual children's books.

Date: Saturday, September 26 from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Laurel Museum (817 Main Street, Laurel, MD 20707)
Cost: Free

Visitors of all ages are invited to join in to craft colorful flowers, play fun games, taste traditional foods, and learn about folklórico dancing. Folklórico skirts and other clothing will be available to try on for photos, and dancing is encouraged!

On Saturday, September 26th, our Main Street Walking Tours return! This time we will be exploring the other half of Laurel's historic district with a focus on the Civil War, commercial growth, and people who inhabited Laurel. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and covers approximately 1 mile.

Date: September 26 | 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/main-street-walking-tour-part-two

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: Avondale Mill (also known as Crabbs Flour Mill) photographed by Bert Sadler in 1907. Sadler Collection, Laurel Historical Society.

Our Speaker Series returns next Thursday, September 24 with a special hybrid presentation by Kevin Leonard of the Laurel History Boys on Laurel's Centennial Celebration!

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?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

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: Laurel Centennial Parade, Circa 1970. The passing float reads "Laurel Shopping Center Salutes Laurel Centennial". Laurel Historical Society Collection.

Today is the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month! Hispanic Heritage month runs from September 15 - October 15 and recognizes the rich histories and contributions of America's Hispanic and Latino communities.

In celebration, the Laurel Historical Society invites you to join us at the Laurel Museum on Saturday, September 26 for a special Children's Day exploring Hispanic heritage through games, food, and dancing!

Visitors of all ages are invited to join in to craft colorful flowers, play fun games, taste traditional foods, and learn about folklórico dancing. Folklórico skirts and other clothing will be available to try on for photos, and dancing is encouraged! Make sure to drop by before 2:00 PM, as LHS will also be hosting local author Raul Cisneros for a reading of his bilingual children's books.

We hope to see you there!

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.