Guess the Greyhound

The gleaming black greyhound statue has been guarding the porch of the house at 108 West Church Street for over 150 years. But according to local history, it was almost turned into ammo during the Civil War.

The cast iron canine was crafted in 1839 by an American artist living in Florence, Italy, and reportedly modeled after a marble statue. The life-sized replica made its way to Frederick, Maryland, and belonged to Dr. John Tyler, an opthalmologist who lived in this house until his death in 1841.

During the American Civil War, Confederate troops took the statue from Tyler’s porch, likely intending to melt it down and turn the metal into bullets. But the heavy hound wound up being abandoned at Antietam. It was eventually recovered and returned to its home on the stoop of the house on Church Street.

The dog was named Guess by girls who lived in the home. It was a little joke—when people would ask them the dog’s name, they would simply reply “Guess.” Ever faithful, Guess still occupies the same spot where he has lain since the 19th century, ready to greet passers-by.