Clippings of the Sykesville Herald Newspaper and in the Museum Collection

Sykesville's Black History

Most of the objects contained on this page are excerpts clipped directly from the Sykesville Herald (from 1923-1940s, known as the Herald Messenger, under the same publishers) newspaper, published in Sykesville, Maryland from 1913 until the 1980s.

For additional information regarding ongoing Black History research in conjunction with the Downtown Sykesville Connection, check out their landing page here.

Work is underway to continue to document important happenings by topic for better access of the public. If there is a topic in which you are interested but do not see posted on our website, contact us to see if it is in our digital system, but not yet online!

Through the Eyes of the Black Experience: 2009

This initiative by the Historical Society of Carroll County and the Community Media Center sought to record stories of life in segregated Carroll County from those who experienced it. In particular, these recordings include the story of John Lewis, who grew up in Eldersburg discussing his life and effects of segregated businesses and World War II rationing which can be found here. You may also be interested in the stories on this page relating to Sykesville including those of Owen "Hankie" Norris, Marianne Collins, and William Hudson Sr.

Dorsey Children at the Colored Schoolhouse

This photograph was taken by Sykesville Colored Schoolhouse teacher, Mrs. Johnson in the 1930s. Three of the Dorsey children, who each attended Sykesville Colored School and later Johnsville Colored School are shown. A memoir of their experience growing up in Sykesville, In Carrie's Footsteps: the Long Walk of Warren Dorsey was written by, Warren Dorsey and former Gate House curator, Jack White in 2014.

Sykesville Historic Colored Schoolhouse

In 1903, after community efforts enforced a state rule, a segregated schoolhouse for Freedom District's black children was built by Carroll County Public Schools. The school opened in January of 1904, and continued to operate as a school through the spring of 1938.

The Sykesville Historic Colored Schoolhouse was restored and reopened in 2006, and today is owned and operated by the Town of Sykesville. Find out more about its history, restoration, and touring information on the Town's website.

Ku Klux Klan on Sykesville Main Street

The Ku Klux Klan did not play a large role in Sykesville's history. Oral history details a significant KKK affiliation to the Gamber area (Northwest of Sykesville), but at this date, no animosity from this group towards persons of color, or indeed, much action of the group at all has been noted in our research. In this article, the focus of this rally, held on Main Street, was the influence of Catholic individuals in politics. However, we have included it on this page to illustrate the presence of this group, which is recognized as a hate group often particularly targeting Black individuals, in the area in general.

Black Staff, August 23, 1923

Henryton Tuberculosis Sanitorium, a state facility for individuals of color just west of Sykesville, eventually would employ many individuals of color throughout South Carroll. However, like nearby Springfield Hospital Center, for the majority of its early history, as with other Maryland state institutions, Henryton's front-facing staff positions such as secretaries, doctors, and nurses, were not open to persons of color.

First Black Graduates of Sykesville School

The Gate House Museum contains relatively few artifacts from citizens of color in Sykesville's history. Although Carroll County's schools integrated in the fall of 1955, historically black schools continued to operate under effective segregation until the early 1960s. Ivory Blackman Jr. and Betty Williams are the first graduates of color on record at the historically white Sykesville High School (where Sykesville Middle is today). In 1964, Ivory Blackman played and was part of the winning team for district basketball.

These objects were part of a display in the museum about midcentury pop culture in 2025.