Jonathan Hager House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The two-story stone house was built by Jonathan Hager around 1740. Hager was a German immigrant and is known as the founder of what is known today as Hagerstown, Maryland. The most unique feature of the house is that it was built over a spring, which not only provided a secure source of water, it also protected it from Indians. Today, the house is owned by the city and operated as a local history museum. It contains exhibits about life in the colonial period and early republic, complete with authentic furnishings from the period.
Images
Built around 1740, the Hager House contains exhibits about life in the colonial period and early republic, complete with authentic furnishings from the period.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Hager was born in Westphalia, Germany. He immigrated to the United States in 1736, arriving first in Philadelphia then making his way to western Maryland. He built the house and married his wife, Elizabeth, in 1740. In the coming years, Hager acquired more tracts of land which garnered him a level of respect and authority in the area. He was appointed one of Maryland's eleven managers of George Washington's project to encourage the development of navigation on the Potomac River. He was also elected to the General Assembly in 1771. He died in 1774 in an accident at a German Reformed Church.
Sources
Hill, Anna & James, Pamela. "Hager House." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 5, 1974. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/92b4e6b9-58d9-4101-8d7a-2a3229e1a1a8.