Gathland Museum Open Hours

900 Arnoldtown Rd, Jefferson, MD 21755

Saturday, May 23 2026 from 09:00 AM to 05:00 PM

Visit the museum at Gathland State Park and learn about a unique character in South Mountain’s history. George Alfred Townsend (whose pen name was “GATH”) was a journalist and war correspondent during the Civil War. GATH captured the nation’s attention with his coverage of the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Abraham Lincon in 1865. As GATH launched his career as a novelist and journalist, he used his wealth to build an elaborate estate on South Mountain, including the War Correspondents Arch.