Dunker Church — Attraction in Shepherdstown

Dunker Church, one of the most famed landmarks of the battle of Antietam.

During the time of battle the then somewhat newly built church became a focal point of the union attacks on the Confederate flank, naturally, taking much damage. The church following the battle was used as a field hospital, and embalming station. It's seen in many paintings and scenes depicting the battle.

Following the battle the church was abandon for a newly built town church and left to the elements, by the 1920s it had completely collapsed.

Multiple owners changes would see the property cleaned (one owner, salvaging most of the natural materials that wasn't stolen by souvenir hunters) and being used as a gas station and souvenir shop, by the 1950s those structures were also torn over.

By the 1960s the NPS had regained control of the land and old foundation, and thus, in 1962 by the time the 100th anniversary of Antietam rolled around it was able to be fully rebuilt, back to its former look at the time of battle, while using many of the actual materials of the original build.

While it's not exactly the "original", structure, the near 60 year old build that replicates that originality with much of the same material, is definitely a step back in time giving you a restored look at what the church looked like at the time of the battle and truly brings to life the battlefield perspective.

I recommend walking across the street next to the visitor center and checking out a nearby sign, that displays a famous photo of the church in the backdrop of some fallen soldiers by cannons near the spot of which you'll be standing.

It can be quite the humbling experience.

An excellent spot on the...

Dinner Church is such a cool spot to stop and see. It was a significant place of a historic battle. Your first stop must be at the Visitor Center. Pay your entrance fee to help support this historic place. Then you get a map and watch a short and informative video on the story of this landmark battle. You can walk the trails or drive around. You definitely want to allocate several hours to see...

I love that they built it back up . It’s a beautiful building and the historical significance is very cool . A must stop on the battlefield . Sometimes they do have a park ranger in the church giving a historical lecture and answering questions . Very...