Old-school cool: Monocacy's electric map has retired but will still have a use. The new digital version in revamped museum has more bells and whistles, sans nostalgia

People of a certain age (myself included!) remember visiting battlefields or museums in their youth and gazing in wonder at electric maps, which had topographic features and blinking lights showing troop movements. It was all so mesmerizing.

Well, time and newer technology eventually overcame these delightful displays. Replacement parts and folks who could make repairs became harder to find.

While many long ago were retired, the upstairs electric map at Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick, Md., operated until the museum closed for a significant renovation. (Above, Picket video of map in August 2024).

The recently reopened museum about 45 miles west of Baltimore has a high-tech map that tells a wider story and is not prone to breaking down (at least so far).

Derek Schaerdel (above, NPS photo)) of Troop 1812 in Frederick built a display case and rolling tabletop for the old electric map. He did this as his Eagle Scout project, the park said in a recent Facebook post.

Park officials said they will touch up the map and use it as an orientation piece (more below). It will no longer be electrified.

At Monocacy on July 9, 1864, outnumbered Federals delayed Confederates bent on taking Washington, D.C. By the time Rebel troops reached the capital’s outskirts, Union reinforcements had arrived. 

Ranger Matt Borders answered the Picket’s questions about the old and new maps. His emailed responses have been edited for brevity and order.

Q.  How old is this old map? Has it always been on display till the renovation?

A. The old map was part of the new museum when the visitor center opened in 2007. There have been times through the years when it wasn't working until we could find someone to work on it, which wasn't easy. Lights were changed over to LED, the guts were rewired or redirected.

We had a retired NASA volunteer work on it at one point and contracted with another company to give it a bit of an overhaul. For that type of technology. 18 years is a pretty good run. The new program won't have that issue. (Map in 2024, Picket photos)

Q. Did it occasionally "break down" -- lose lights? Will the new presentation eliminate that kind of thing?

A. The former map was 18 years old and was feeling its age. While most guests would not have noticed it, there were parts of the program that had stopped working and were not able to be repaired. 

The larger problem (was) the parts for the old map were no longer available, specifically the specialized light bulbs that the fiber optics used. 

Q. What are the tradeoffs of the "new" map vs. this one?

A. Not only does the new map program cover more of the overall campaign but includes aspects of the battle that had not been covered previously, such as the fighting near Jug Bridge north of the National Park Service property. 

The biggest benefit is that the program is now digital and is not restricted by a physical map board. The program can be run on other displays, making it more flexible and less technical for repairs. If a screen stops working, we can have that looked or replaced, as opposed to changing lighting and timing belts that would have to occur with the previous map.

Q. Can you please describe the new map presentation?

A. The digital map presentation is a push button start and lasts for 10 minutes. It is narrated with accompanying, music and sound effects. The narration is also close captioned. (NPS photo, left)

The new program is closer to a movie than the previous presentation and uses two large flat screens to present it. This program follows (Confederate) Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's Army of the Shenandoah District north, through the Shenandoah Valley to Harpers Ferry and then over the Potomac River into Maryland. Concurrently, the map program shows the movement of Federal forces, once they are aware of the threat, reacting to the Confederate incursion from both Baltimore and, eventually, the Petersburg front. 

The program then zooms into the battlefield itself showing the movements of the troops across the landscape, as well as the eventual retreat of United States forces from the field. The program then concludes by showing the Confederate movement continues toward Washington and the eventual retreat to Virginia.  

Q. The post said rangers will touch up and add to the electric map. What specifically? How will it be used in the future and where?

A. The map is old and dinged up. We want to touch up the paint and the terrain features for future use. (It) will no longer be an electric presentation and instead will be a giant topographic map of the battlefield that will be utilized for orientation programs, school visits and the like. 

This will assist the rangers with a visual element they can use when explaining the battlefield landscape and how the battle progressed, especially when they are not on the battlefield itself.

Matt Borders and Derek Schaerdel with old electric map (NPS photo)