Off the beaten track since the 1960s when a by-pass road was built around it, Keedysville is a quiet, historic town on Little Antietam Creek (right, oval). It was that creek and an early road crossing that had attracted settlers to the area in the early 1700s. Jacob Hess built a large grist mill and his home there in 1768. The community that grew around the mill was known as Mill Property until 1825 when the Boonsboro-Sharpsburg road was built— Mill Property was at the halfway point, so naturally its name became Centreville. But when the town got a post office in 1848, the name was changed again, this time to Keedysville. Storekeeper Samuel Keedy was a descendent of one of the town’s earliest settler families (the German pronunciation of their name having been corrupted over the years from Guding to Geeting to Keedy)—and besides that he had lobbied hard for the post office.

During the Civil War, the town’s buildings were used as hospitals for soldiers engaged in the battle of Antietam. By the 1870s, Keedysville had a railroad running through it, an elementary school, three churches (one of which was the first United Brethren Church to be built in the United States), several stores, a hotel, the mill, and the post office.

By the end of the 20th century, Keedysville had developed into a bedroom community with little industry or commerce. The dominant architectural style was Victorian, with some older and some newer homes mixed in. When tourists now encounter Keedysville, they are delighted by its historic homes and quaint Victorian appearance. In the town park is a monument commemorating Keedysville’s citizens who served in World War II; close by is another that honors World War I veterans.

The railroad now is defunct, and only one store remains. The three churches are still active, and the Ruritan chapter (the first established in Maryland) provides community-based civic activities. A day-care and senior-citizens center is housed in the former elementary school, and there is a branch of the county library in town. In all, the residents find Keedysville to be a very pleasant environment in which to live and raise a family.