SHHS 70th Anniversary
An aerial view taken not long after South Hagerstown High School opened in the fall of 1956. A large framed version of this photo hangs proudly in the main office of the school. This photo is one of the earliest known shots of the campus after construction was completed.
Celebrating 70 years of history!
2026 is a milestone year for South Hagerstown High School! Thursday, September 10, 2026, will officially mark 70 years since the first day students occupied the building. Over seven decades, South High has proudly graduated thousands of students and created a lasting impact on the South End community.
Throughout 2026, the staff and students at South High will partner with the South Hagerstown High Anniversary Association, a nonprofit organization formed by alumni, to celebrate the school's rich history!
Be sure to check this page regularly. It will be updated with content involving the school's history, event announcements, and much more!
How to get involved
The South Hagerstown High Anniversary Association is open to everyone, not just SHHS alumni! This includes current students and staff, former staff, friends and family of alumni, business owners and anyone else who may be interested from our community! The association meets monthly on alternating Mondays and Thursdays at 6pm in the media center. Join their Facebook group to stay on top of the latest news and for meeting dates.
Read about South High's history in the Maryland Cracker Barrel magazine!
The fall 2026 issue of the Maryland Cracker Barrel magazine, the "Sentinel of Washington County's Heritage" is dedicated entirely to celebrating the 70th anniversary of South Hagerstown High School!
The issue features dozens of photographs from the school's historical archive collection, a letter by Jim Carnes recalling the creation of school traditions as president of the first graduating class (1957), a feature story with as much of 70 years of history as possible written by Class of 2018 alum and current archive curator Brayden Leather, and some recipes for your cookbook from current athletic director and Class of 1988 alum Dwayne Freeman and Food Network chef and Class of 2002 alum Justin Warner!
The Maryland Cracker Barrel magazine is edited and published quarterly by Suanne Kuhn Woodring from the Class of 1964.
The fall 2026 issue will mail to subscribers and will be available for purchase at local businesses starting the week of August 26, 2026. Make sure you buy your copy soon! Once they sell out, they're gone!
Local businesses that sell copies:
- Ernst Country Market - Dam #5 Road, Clear Spring
- Wilson Country Store - 14921 Rufus Wilson Road, Clear Spring
- Shawley's Hardware Store - Rt. 68 east in St. James at the railroad tracks (closet location to the school)
- Sunny Meadows - 7437 Sharpsburg Pike, Boonsboro
- Bonnie's at the Red Byrd - 19409 Shepherdstown Pike, Keedysville
- Phil & Jerry's Meats & More - 22937 Jefferson Blvd, Smithsburg
- Earl's Market - 15755 Pennsylvania Ave, State Line, Pa. (Just north of Fort Ritchie and just south of Blue Ridge Summit)
A limited number of copies will be available for purchase while supplies last at South Hagerstown's 70th Anniversary Celebration event on Saturday, October 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. No copies will be available to purchase at the school outside of the 70th Anniversary Celebration event.