Our Mission

South Mountain Heritage Society (SMHS) is dedicated to preserving and interpreting the history of Burkittsville, Maryland. We strive to attain this mission through the preservation of the historic Resurrection Reformed Church which houses our museum where hundreds of visitors annually encounter the history of our community in fixed and temporary exhibitions. SMHS is also actively dedicated to fostering the living community around us through the shared use of our space for public and private events.

SMHS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that depends entirely on volunteers and contributions from our patrons and the community. The society is administered through a board of directors elected to serve in the positions of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Historian/Curator. Additional members-at-large serve as appointees to the board of directors. 

Our current board of directors includes Jody Brumage (Historian/Curator, President), Catherine Cox (Vice President), Paul Koch (Secretary), and Members-at-Large Bill Susa, Mary Garwood, Jean Galey, Shelby Beaver, and Beth Zang.

Our History

In 1975, local residents organized the Burkittsville District Heritage Society to garner recognition and begin the preservation of the town's unique nineteenth century townscape. Their efforts led to the listing of the town on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. When the last congregants of the Resurrection Reformed Church decided to close the church in 1979, the building was given to the heritage society for preservation. However, the Burkittsville District Heritage Society became defunct by the mid-1980s.

The worsening deterioration of the Resurrection Reformed Church inspired Burkittsville residents to form a new organization in the early-1990s to prevent this architectural landmark from collapse. South Mountain Heritage Society was founded on November 8, 1993 and over the next seven years, fundraising and grant writing efforts secured the resources necessary to begin the restoration of the former church which began in earnest in 1999 with the bell tower. Over the next three years, the entire structure was restored to its approximate 1896 appearance which involved extensive painting inside and out, replacement of the roof, reconstruction of the plaster ceiling over the nave, and re-finishing of the pine floors. 

With the major restoration work completed around 2002, South Mountain Heritage Society turned its focus to the collection and preservation of Burkittsville's material culture. We now operate a museum in the historic church and host exhibits featuring this collection of artifacts from Burkittsville's history as well as the surrounding region of the lower Middletown Valley. The heritage society is also dedicated to making these resources available virtually for public use and education of the history and culture of Burkittsville.