Hudson House Galleries owner Greg Sullivan grew up in Funkstown and always remembers Baltimore Street being lined with shops. His store, incorporated in 1967, was initially located in his childhood home.
An eclectic mix of shops combined with a community that honors its history earns Funkstown a reputation as a destination downtown for close-by neighbors and far-away visitors alike. History comes alive each summer as Civil War re-enactors forage the town and fall in the city streets as they did back in 1863. The winter sidewalks are lined with luminarias for Christmas shoppers. From a burger at the Funkstown Tavern to a genteel tea at Sereni-Tea Victorian Tea Room, Funkstown invites people to enjoy the adventure.
A TIME-CAPSULE TOWN Greg Sullivan has rights to tell tales of life in Funkstown. Greg grew up in Funkstown, and he and his wife, Vicki, own Hudson House Galleries, which was incorporated in 1967. The antiques haven is a collection of finds from estate sales nearby and places as far-flung as China. Greg says Funkstown’ s proximity to metropolitan areas such as Washington, D. C., Baltimore and New York City make it a planned stop for antique lovers.“ Funkstown is less than one day’ s drive for 33 percent of the population of the United States,” he says. And for locals, Funkstown is a great place to show off to guests, Vicki says.“ Funkstown is a town to bring people to.”
The Sullivans believe that sustaining a community with small-town values is paramount to Funkstown’ s continued business success. Making memories for the people who live in as well as those who visit Funkstown is important, Vicki says. Many of Funkstown’ s family-focused activities are sponsored by the town and coordinated by vested volunteers.“ Anytime you can have activity on the street, you get an infusion of blood,” Greg says.
Acting as a catalyst for that kind of energy infusion is lifelong resident Rich Gaver— a member of Funkstown Town Council, chairman of Funkstown Old Tyme Christmas, and co-chairman of
Day in the Park / Battle of Funkstown. Both events pique the interest of about 3,500 visitors each year and are supported by resources such as the Washington County Hotel Motel Tax Fund. While Old Tyme Christmas brings guests to town for a few hours, the battle brings them for an entire weekend.“ When you think about how Day in the Park and the battle work together, you’ ve got craft vendors for mom, games for the kids, and dad can go and watch the battle. And then all of them can go and visit an encampment,” Rich says.“ At that juncture we can satisfy a whole family.”
DEEP ROOTS TO FRESHLY PLANTED BUSINESS Those same families stroll the streets of Funkstown, browsing remote control airplanes at NeXgen Hobby, perusing used books and slurping smoothies at The Coffee Station, relaxing at Sereni-Tea Victorian Tea Room, and shopping the variety of other establishments that bedeck Baltimore Street and surrounding
62 May / June 2013 Hagerstown: The Best of Life in Washington County & Beyond