They say that the American Civil War helped transform the game of baseball from a regional pastime in America’s northeast into a national obsession that endures to this day.  Found out how on Wednesday, July 15 when baseball historian, Richard D’Ambrisi presents “Baseball in the American Civil War“. Richard will explore the style of civilian baseball played in the mid-19th Century, baseball in the Union and Confederate armies, how baseball was presented in the media of the day and modern examples of Civil War baseball art.

 

Richard D’Ambrisi has been a Civil War civilian reenactor and living historian since 1986.  He has developed characterizations for a pharmacist apothecary, optical emporium proprietor, professor of phrenology, railroad worker and vintage 19th Century baseball player and umpire.  He has been active for many years at the B&O railroad museums in Baltimore and Ellicott City, Hampton Mansion in Towson and Sport legends at Camden Yards in Baltimore where he was the 19th Century baseball historian for five years.

Richard has participated in and presented at numerous civil war reenactments and roundtables, historical site events and vintage baseball tournaments.  In August of 2019 he became tour guide and interpretive manager at the Hagerstown Railroad Hub Museum where he redesigned and updated the entire visitor experience.  In December of 2019 he completed the Certified Interpretive Guide training program with the National Association of Interpretation.

Come join leading historians and Antietam Battlefield Guides as they discuss intriguing topics of the Maryland Campaign of 1862 and the Civil War during our Civil War Summer Lecture Series.

These outdoors programs will be held at the Jacob Rohrbach Inn on Wednesday evenings at 7:oo p.m.   Even though those programs are outdoors, we require attending guests to wear face coverings and to social distance as much as possible. To ensure adequate seating, please bring a chair.  In case of inclement weather, lectures will be held at 101 W. Main Street at Town Square.  Parking is available on Main and Hall Streets.  For updates and a full schedule of presenters & topics check our Facebook page.