Friends of Tolson’s Chapel Creates Agency Fund at Community Foundation

Friends of Tolson’s Chapel created an agency fund recently at the Community Foundation of Washington County MD to provide unrestricted financial support for preservation and interpretation of the historic African American Tolson’s Chapel & School in Sharpsburg, Maryland.Tolson’s Chapel is a small Methodist church built in 1866 by the Sharpsburg African American community. From 1868-1869, the chapel also served as a Freedmen’s Bureau School and then as the Sharpsburg Colored School until 1899. The chapel continued into the twentieth century, but closed in 1998 after the last member of the congregation passed away. In 2003, Friends of Tolson’s Chapel began restoration of the building and its cemetery, becoming a nonprofit in 2006. Today, Friends of Tolson’s Chapel preserves and interprets the history of the chapel and its people within the national context of reconstruction and segregation in American history.“We are a small, all-volunteer organization with a big purpose,” said Edie Wallace, current president of Friends of Tolson’s Chapel. “This opportunity to enlarge our circle of friends and strengthen our fundraising capabilities through the Community Foundation of Washington County is an important step for the future of Tolson’s Chapel.”Donations may be made to Friends of Tolson’s Chapel Fund at the Community Foundation by sending a check to 37 S. Potomac Street, Hagerstown, MD 21740 or by credit card. To learn more about Tolson’s Chapel, visit their website.