Frostburg State University’s Role on Main Street

One of Frostburg’s largest employers and community draws is Frostburg State University.

The University plays a significant role in the city and our Main Street Community.

Nowaczyk Family Children’s Literature Centre

The Nowaczyk Family Children’s Literature Centre, previously known as the Children’s Literature Centre or CLC, plays a significant role in the downtown district through annual, free children’s events such as Storybook Holiday, Pirates Ahoy!, and Harry Potter Book Night.

By applying innovative approaches to literacy through technology, collaborating with the Frostburg community to promote literacy and connection, and cultivating awareness for children’s literature, authors, and illustrators, their children’s events greatly serve the Frostburg community and local youth. Located in room 219A of the Education Health Sciences Center on the Frostburg State University campus, their goal has been to build a passion for lifelong reading, which has been promoted for over 40 years at FSU.

Mountain City Traditional Arts

As a featured venue of Frostburg’s Arts & Entertainment District, Mountain City Traditional Arts is a program of FSU that receives support from Folklore & Folklife Programming, the Allegany Arts Council, FrostburgFirst: A Main Street Community, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the FSU Foundation, and the Maryland Traditions Program at the Maryland State Arts Council. This non-profit organization features a diverse array of local goods and staffed entirely by FSU students.

Located at 25 East Main Street, the venue sells products from local artisans including handmade herbal products, baskets, pottery, woodwork, quilts, paintings, knitted goods, local music, handmade instruments, and more. MCTA regularly holds concerts featuring traditional musicians from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, the U.S., and more! With regular workshops for those looking to learn traditional art, stop by this venue dedicated to the education, promotion, documentation, and perpetuation of the traditional arts of the Allegheny Highlands.

Explore Frostburg State University!

Founded in 1898, Frostburg State University is a largely residential, regional university serving as a premier educational and cultural center for Western Maryland. FSU is the only four-year institution of USM west of the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and they aim to promote cultural enrichment, civic responsibility, and sustainability. The university is an integral component of regional economic development initiatives, is nationally recognized for its programs in community service and leadership, and provides real-life experiences for students in a vast array of disciplines.

This University System of Maryland institution’s first class began with 57 students in September 1902, and it now covers 260 acres in Frostburg with over 4,000 students enrolled. The university features planetarium shows, an arboretum, the Center for Literary Arts, 91.9 WFWM radio, an art gallery, a museum, theatre and dance performances, the Appalachian Festival, and so much more. As a result, FSU holds the distinction of being one of the USM institutions most fully woven into the fabric of the surrounding region.