All WM Chapter members, family and friends are cordially invited to attend the holiday party that will be held in the Puccini Restaurant at 12901 Ali Ghan Road NE, about three miles east of downtown Cumberland near Exit 46 on eastbound Interstate Route 68, on Wednesday, December 21 at 6 PM (please note the hour-earlier time). The party will take place on the second floor of this historic building that was once a roadside inn on the old Baltimore-Cumberland Pike. The two and a half story brick structure was built in 1819 by Jacob Hoblitzel, on land that was a grant to Colonel William Lamar after the Revolutionary War. The house was later owned by George Hinkle during the Civil War, and on 1 August 1864, the Battle of Folck’s Mill took place nearby. After the battle, the Hinkle home served as a temporary battlefield hospital for wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate.
Civil War graffiti can still be seen on the walls and slanted ceilings of the attic dormitory. For more in-formation about the building’s history and the restaurant’s menu, visit the website (puccinirestaurant.com). This occasion will be a strictly informal event with good food and fine fellowship, celebrating the completion of yearly activities and the beginning of the winter season. No individual reservations are required; just come enjoy the festivities. Best wishes are extended for a joyous holiday season and for happiness that continues throughout the coming year! Let’s make 2023 a year to remember.
Western Maryland Chapter National Railway Historical Society 