Charles Carroll of Carrollton: America’s First Entrepreneur
Wed, Sep 23
|Carroll County Public Library - Lower
Join us in Mount Airy, Maryland. As America marks 250 years since the Declaration of Independence and prepares to commemorate 200 years of American railroading, this presentation offers a timely lens on the people, ideas, and ambitions that connect the founding generation to today.


Time & Location
Sep 23, 2026, 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Carroll County Public Library - Lower, 705 Ridge Ave, Mt Airy, MD 21771, USA
About the event
How should we understand Charles Carroll of Carrollton in the full context of his time? In this 60-minute session, Charles Carroll of Carrollton: America’s First Entrepreneur reexamines Carroll not only as a patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence, but as a strategic entrepreneurial figure working across enterprise, land, politics, religion, influence, and infrastructure. The presentation explores how his decisions, networks, and long-range vision helped shape his era, the nation, Maryland, and the local region including the early development of the B&O Railroad and its westward expansion. Attendees will leave with a broader and more integrated view of Carroll’s historical significance.
Speaker: Craig Rhinehart, Railroad History Reimagined