Thurmont

Commissioners
Wayne A. Hooper, whooper@thurmont.com
Robert Lookingbill, rlookingbill@thurmont.com
Glenn D. Muth, gmuth@thurmont.com
Ronald A. Terpko, rterpko@thurmont.com

Chief Administativer Officer
Bill Blakeslee, bblakeslee@thurmont.com

Town meeting
7 p.m., every Monday
History
Home to Cunningham Falls State Park and the Camp David presidential retreat, Thurmont is a picturesque town of historic stately homes, new housing, retail businesses and plenty of park land.
Established in 1751, Thurmont was known as Mechanicstown, named after a German craftsman who settled in the area. It was a town booming with farmers, carpenters, blacksmiths and mechanics.
In the early 1880s, the Iron Works operated three miles south of Thurmont at the Catoctin Furnace. The furnace was fired up after iron ore was discovered in the surrounding mountains. The facility’s ruins are left behind today.
In 1908, the Thurmont Trolley became the first electric freight line in the United States, stretching from Frederick to Thurmont.
By the 1960s, Thurmont was recognized as one of the fastest-growing communities in Frederick County. Its population reached 5,588 in the 2000 Census and is currently estimated at 6,000.
Today, an estimated 200,000 visitors descend upon this quaint community every October for the town’s annual Catoctin Colorfest Arts and Crafts Show to stroll, eat, shop or browse.