The Dunker Church is north of Sharpsburg across Old Hagerstown Pike from the Visitor Center. (Visitor Center-Dunker Church tour map)

The church was originally built in 1852 on land donated by Samual Mumma by the German Baptist Brethren. They were known as Dunkers or Dunkards for their practice of baptism by full immersion. The Dunkers were pacifists who believed in simplicity and modesty, which included not placing a steeple on their meeting place. The church was the the center of some of the hardest fighting at Antietam, its whitewashed walls an objective visible through the gun smoke. During and after the battle the church became a haven for the wounded.

The church survived the battle but was destroyed by a storm in 1921. Its materials were stored and preserved.  For many years a lunch stand catering to battlefield visitors stood on the foundations. For the 100th anniversary of the battle in 1962 the church was rebuilt and restored to its 1860s appearance using many of the original materials.

From the nearby marker:

Dunkard Church

“Let us here today, in the spirit of the Brethren who built it more than a century ago, rededicate this building to the advancement of peace among nations…. to the brotherhood of all mankind.” from address delivered by J. Millard Tawes, Governor of Maryland, September 2, 1962. Reconstruction of the historic Dunkard Church was made possible in 1961 by a special appropriation of funds by the State of Maryland.