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Hagerstown Celebrates Star Spangled Banner's 200th Anniversary!
On October 9th, 2014, The City of Hagerstown held a celebration honoring the 200th Anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner and to also honor John Gruber and The Maryland Theater for their 200+ years of contribution to the arts and humanities to the region. The celebration commemorating Gruber’s significant cultural and historical achievements was held at the site of Gruber’s first print shop on South Potomac Street (now, coincidentally the site of the Maryland Theater!). The honors included the unveiling of a historical marker, speeches by officials, and certificates of special recognition issued by city Mayor David S. Gysberts. It was John Gruber, along with partner and son-in-law, Daniel May, who first published The Star Spangled Banner (originally titled "Defence of Fort McHenry’) in song form in his National Songster - 1814, Hagerstown, Maryland. For more local media coverage of the day's events, click here.
