The city provides free water, sewer, trash collection and parking. Local officials agree, saying the organization has been a key piece in a plan to promote the city and county as travel destination for Civil War tourists - something it missed out on when it lost to Frederick, Md., the chance to host the Museum of Civil War Medicine. In addition to the convention, the Antietam anniversary and the movie, the organization has participated developing Civil War marketing programs. There was a strategy to it. That can only help the organization by publicizing its cause, he said.
Local officials agree that both sides are benefiting from the relationship so far.
I can see it continue to grow. It's not just good for Hagerstown, but good for Washington County, too, and good for the whole region. For example, Revolutionary War sites are even more endangered, and there are World War II and Korean War battlefields that are also unprotected, he said. Our greatest enemy is ignorance. It's not apathy.