HISTORY \\
Barbara Fritchie , LEGENDARY LADY
BY MARY BOSWELL , EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , HERITAGE FREDERICK
To historians and history buffs , Barbara Fritchie ( sometimes spelled Frietchie ) is Frederick ’ s leading legendary lady .
A souvenir card , copyrighted in April 18 , 1885 by Markens & Bielfield , depicts Barbara Fritchie , who died in December 1862 .
Scholars say she “ put Frederick on the map .” Most of her 96 years were uneventful , but in adulthood she was , in many ways , ahead of her time . She was born in 1766 in Lancaster , Pa . Her parents had emigrated from Dildendorff , Naussau , Germany 12 years earlier . Before she was 10 years old , she and her family moved to Frederick . In 1806 , at the age of 40 , she married a much younger man , John Casper Fritchie ( 1780 – 1849 ). She was well read and owned an impressive collection of books , including “ Interesting Anecdotes of the Heroic Conduct of Women ,” published in Baltimore in 1804 , two years before her marriage .
International fame was bestowed upon Fritchie after she died in 1862 , when a poem about her was published in the “ Atlantic Monthly ” the following year . Written by John Greenleaf Whittier , the poem focuses on an incident in which she is said to have confronted Confederate troops when they marched through Frederick during the Civil War . According to the poem , Confederate soldiers shot at the Union flag that she had posted outside her attic window . In response , she grabbed the flag and said , “ Shoot if you must this old gray head , but spare your country ’ s flag .”
After the poem was published , her fame went “ viral .” Today , critics question the validity of the story , but the poem immediately resulted in a host of popular materials and retail opportunities . Over the years , a motorcycle race , a horse race and a restaurant have been named after her . The poem also inspired a song , a play , an operetta , three silent films , and a brand of candy .
In 1943 , on his way to see President Franklin D . Roosevelt at what is now Camp David , British Prime Minister Winston Churchill recited the poem and asked to see her house . Today people may see a reconstruction of her house at the original site on West Patrick Street .
A few notable pieces from the exhibit on Barbara Fritchie at Heritage Frederick ’ s Museum of Frederick History : The play “ Barbara Frietchie ” by Clyde Fitch was romantic fiction , originally produced in Philadelphia in 1889 . Two weeks later , it was performed in New York and closed in 1890 . “ Barbara Frietchie Patriotic Ballad ” was composed by Jules Jordan and was performed in Boston for a soloist , chorus and orchestra . “ My Maryland ” was based on Fitch ’ s play and was performed at Jolson ’ s Theatre in New York . Actress Julia Marlowe ( 1865 – 1950 ) performed as Barbara Fritchie . BY TURNER PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HERITAGE FREDERICK
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