Over the weekend I took a trip to Frederick, MD for the day. The beautiful town lies northwest of Baltimore, close to the Virginia border. Among the mountains the town boasts colorful buildings and shops, as well as rich history. I had visited with Dr. Cole two years ago for a class trip to the Civil War Medicine Museum, but I hadn’t expected my second visit to tie in with our current class.

As I was walking through the town absorbing the old buildings, I came across a sign that read “Trail Mansion”. This rang a bell in my head, but I couldn’t remember why that name held significance. “Trail” I kept repeating; “Why do I know the name ‘Trail’?” Suddenly it dawned on me–I was thinking of Florence Trail, member of the Woman’s Literary Club of Baltimore. I realize this could’ve been a common Maryland name or merely a coincidence, but I snapped a few photos anyways, determined to do a little research.

It turns out the mansion belonged to the wealthy Frederick resident Charles Edward Trail, Florence’s father. To double-check this information, I turned to Marina’s blog post about Florence Trail. Yep, she grew up in Frederick; this must have been her childhood home. The red brick building stands tall, with a unique face in comparison to the other dwellings on the street. Nonetheless, it lies tucked away. The mansion serves as a landmark which marks a specific time in history, and today it functions as a funeral home.