National Park Service News Releases
May 11, 2012 - New Civil War Exhibits To Open At C&O Canal National Historical Park
Contact: Curt Gaul, District Ranger, (301) 582-0813
New Civil War exhibits will open at Ferry Hill Place on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at 1:00 p.m. Please join the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War along the C&O Canal and to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Ferry Hill Place. National, State and Local officials will participate in the opening ceremony, including U.S Representative Roscoe Bartlett, and National Park Service National Capital Regional Director Steve Whitesell.
In 2011 the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park received a grant from the National Park Service Civil War 150th initiative to design and install new exhibits. The exhibits tell the story of Ferry Hill as a Western Maryland farm, of its residents including the enslaved, and the role of Ferry Hill in the Civil War. With the installation of the exhibits the park also conducted rehabilitation and stabilization of the historic structure. This work was done by park staff and volunteers.
Preceding the ceremony, live Civil War music, interpretive and living history programs, and tours of new museum exhibits will be provided starting at 12:00 noon. Activities will resume immediately following the ceremony.
A highlight of the day will be the return of Enoch to Ferry Hill Place. Enoch was enslaved at the site from the 1830s into the 1860s. Enoch will be portrayed by living history interpreter Jerome Bridges. Mr. Bridges will share stories from Enoch’s life at the plantation and tell of his labors as a field hand and his role as coachman for the Blackford and Douglas families. The untold stories of Enoch and other enslaved that lived and worked at Ferry Hill Place contribute to the rich heritage of this site.
Ferry Hill Place is the home of Henry Kyd Douglas, youngest officer to General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and author of I Rode with Stonewall. Overlooking the C&O Canal and Potomac River into Shepherdstown, WV, Ferry Hill Place is a 19th century plantation house located at 16500 Shepherdstown Pike, Sharpsburg, MD 21782, on the west side of Maryland Route 34 and just north of the Potomac River. Following the exhibit opening the site will be open daily throughout the summer from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information please call the Williamsport Visitor Center at 301-582-0813.
May 8, 2012 - C&O Canal Holds Public Open House Meetings on the “Extension Of The Western Maryland Rail Trail” Environmental Assessment
Contact: John Noel, Public Information Officer, 301-714-2238
The National Park Service (NPS) Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park will hold two public open house meetings for an Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposed extension of the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT) between Pearre, Washington County, Maryland and Paw Paw, Morgan County, West Virginia. The EA analyzes the potential impacts of three alternatives, including a No Action Alternative, for the proposed trail extension. These meetings will be held in an “Open House” format and will provide interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preferred Alternative and the EA. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. NPS and planning staff will be on hand to visit with you and answer questions for a two-hour period. The dates, times, and locations are:
| May 16, 2012 6:00-8:00 p.m. Hancock Town Hall Building 126 West High Street Hancock, MD 21750 |
May 17, 2012 6:00-8:00 p.m. Paw Paw School 60 Pirate Circle Paw Paw, WV 25434 |
April 26, 2012 - C&O Canal Wayside Exhibits Installed to Support Canal Towns
Contact: Curt Gaul, C&O Canal NHP, West District Ranger, 301-582-0813
Sharpsburg/Snyder’s Landing, MD – On Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at 11:30 a.m. the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park with representatives from neighboring communities will install an interpretive wayside exhibit at Snyder’s Landing supporting the Canal Towns Partnership along the C&O Canal Towpath.
Three years ago, nine communities along the C&O Canal formed the Canal Towns Partnership, an economic development initiative with the goal of cooperatively marketing and making improvements, such as the addition of bike lanes and bike racks, to attract visitors into the canal’s gateway communities.
“The Canal Towns Partnership enhances the beneficial relationship that has always existed between the Canal and the communities along its route” said C&O Canal Superintendent Kevin Brandt. Today park visitors can enrich their national park experience by learning about the historic canal towns as well as enjoy ready access to needed services to support their enjoyment on the towpath.
The wayside at Snyder’s Landing invites visitors to bike a mile and a half on Snyder’s Landing Road in Sharpsburg, MD, explore the town, use the services available there, and learn the town history. Similar waysides have been installed along the C&O Canal towpath directing park visitors to Point of Rocks, Brunswick, Shepherdstown, Williamsport, and Hancock. Later this year a seventh wayside will be installed near Harpers Ferry.
Funding for the Sharpsburg, Williamsport and Hancock waysides was provided by the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This is a great project for Washington County,” said Tom Riford, President and CEO of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, “We are pleased to provide wayside markers in our county, helping tell the story of Canal Towns, and ultimately directing visitors from the towpath into Hancock, Williamsport and Sharpsburg.” Riford pointed out that bicycle and hiking traffic has greatly increased on the C&O Canal towpath because of the number of through-riders utilizing the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh and the excitement surrounding the soon-to-be completed Big Slackwater repair project.
Additional funding for the Point of Rocks and Brunswick waysides was provided by the Federal Highway Administration (National Scenic Byways Program) and the Tourism Council of Frederick County, Inc. Funding for the Shepherdstown wayside came from the Shepherdstown Chamber of Commerce.
April 25, 2012 - C&O Canal Invites Public to Comment on the “Extension Of The Western Maryland Rail Trail” Environmental Assessment
Contact: John Noel, Public Information Officer, 301-714-2238
The National Park Service (NPS) Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal NHP) is pleased to announce the availability of an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed extension of the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT) between Pearre, Washington County, Maryland and Paw Paw, Morgan County, West Virginia. The EA analyzes the potential impacts of three alternatives, including a No Action Alternative, for the proposed trail extension. Beginning April 27, 2012, the EA will be available to review in its entirety on the NPS’s Planning, Environment & Public Comment (PEPC) website: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/choh.
The NPS will hold two public review meetings to provide interested parties an opportunity to comment on the Preferred Alternative and the EA. These meetings will be held in an “Open House” format. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. NPS and planning staff will be on hand to visit with you and answer questions. The dates, times, and locations are presented below:
| May 16, 2012 6:00-8:00 p.m. Hancock Town Hall Building 126 West High Street Hancock, MD 21750 |
May 17, 2012 6:00-8:00 p.m. Paw Paw School 60 Pirate Circle Paw Paw, WV 25434 |
April 24, 2012 - White Nose Syndrome Observed in Bats at C&O Canal National Historical Park
Contact: Peggie Gaul, 301-739-6072, peggie_gaul@nps.gov
HAGERSTOWN, MD - White-nose syndrome (WNS) was observed in Washington County, Maryland in an abandoned cement mine owned by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park during March 2012 bat surveys. Bats from the mine were not submitted for laboratory confirmation; however the disease was confirmed in Maryland-owned mines belonging to the same complex in spring 2011. White fungal growth indicative of WNS was observed on most little brown bats and tricolor bats hibernating in the cement mine.
Surveys conducted in the complex also documented a severe decline in the overall bat population from the previous five year average and the lowest number recorded since regular monitoring was initiated in 1998.
White-nose syndrome is a disease caused by the fungus Geomyces destructans and is responsible for the deaths of millions of bats in eastern North America. It is named for a white fungus that forms on the faces of infected bats. While the actual cause of death due to WNS is unknown, the disease results in bats becoming restless during hibernation. Their movement results in burning up necessary fat reserves or losing body fluid. There is no known cure for the disease.
Bats are important components of intact natural ecosystems and may provide services that benefit humans, such as eating large quantities of insect pests. The C&O Canal is home to ten bat species and the largest hibernating population of bats in the state of Maryland. Of the ten known species that reside in the park, at least six that hibernate in park caves, tunnels, and mines are susceptible to WNS. Park mines and tunnels used by hibernating bats are closed to the public to minimize the chance of spreading the disease to other areas.
“While the confirmation of white nose syndrome in the park is not a surprise because of the proximity of the disease discovered in Washington County in 2011, it is still a sad day for the resource,” said Kevin Brandt, Park Superintendent. “We will continue to monitor bat populations in our caves, tunnels and mines, and we hope to minimize WNS affecting other bat habitats outside of our boundaries”
Park visitors are reminded to not handle bats, particularly those found dead or acting abnormally. According to the NPS Office of Public Health, WNS does not appear to pose a threat to human health since the fungus that causes WNS only grows at temperatures well below human body temperature. However, WNS can cause sick bats to exhibit unusual behavior, such as flying outdoors or at hibernaculum entrances at all times of day and in all types of weather, so bats may be encountered in unusual settings.
While humans are not at risk of contracting WNS, bats are known to carry other diseases such as rabies. If you see a dead, sick or injured bat within the park, please notify the park at 301-714-2225. Any dead, injured or sick bats found outside of the park should be reported to the local state wildlife agency.
April 19, 2012 - Spend the Night along the C&O Canal
Contact: Peggie Gaul, 301-739-6072, peggie_gaul@nps.gov
Greater Washington DC area, MD, PA, VA, and WV – Spending a night in a national park is an unforgettable experience. Nearly forty (40) designated camping sites and five (5) historic lock houses located within the 184.5 mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park offer visitors a unique opportunity to experience natural and cultural resources while spending the night in a national park.
For individuals who are hiking or biking along the C&O Canal, hiker-biker campsites are located every six (6) to eight (8) miles. They offer a free stay of one (1) night per sight, per trip. Hiker-biker campsites accommodate a maximum of two (2) tents and eight (8) people per site and are accessible only by walking or biking along the towpath. Larger groups and those wishing to drive to a campsite may stay at one of the park’s drive-in campgrounds, located at McCoy's Ferry, Fifteen Mile Creek, Paw Paw Tunnel, and Spring Gap. Drive-in campground fees are $10 per site, per night for individuals or groups of up to eight (8) people or $20 per site, per night for larger groups with a maximum of thirty five (35) people. Camping is permitted year round at designated sites only. All campsites are first come, first serve.
Marsden Tract Camping, located at Milepost 11, is reserved for civic and scout organizations. An advance permit is required and can be obtained by calling the Great Falls Fee Office at (301) 767-3731. There is no parking available at Marsden Tract. Overnight parking is permitted ONLY at Great Falls (entrance fee charged), Angler’s and Carderock Recreation Area.
All campsites offer a chemical toilet, potable water (seasonal), picnic tables and grill. Water pumps, located at each campsite, are available from April 15 to November 15 each year. Please note: occasionally water may be inaccessible due to low water levels or as a result of poor water quality samples. It is important to plan ahead and ensure you have a backup source of water at all times.
Fires at campsites are restricted to grills and fire rings provided or in portable grills positioned off the ground. Coals must be extinguished and removed from the park. Visitors are responsible for properly extinguishing all fires prior to leaving the campsite. Following are a few guidelines: First, allow wood to burn completely to ash. Pour plenty of water on the ashes; drown ALL embers, not just the red ones. Pour water on the fire until hissing sounds stop. Next, stir the campfire ashes and embers with a shovel. Scrape the sticks and logs to remove any embers. Stir and make sure all materials are wet and cold to the touch. If you do not have water available, use dirt to extinguish the fire. Mix enough dirt or sand with the embers until all materials are cool to the touch. If embers are too hot to touch, they are too hot to leave! Do not attempt to bury the fire, as it will continue to smolder and could lead to a wildfire.
Currently, there is a high fire probability due to dry, warm weather. It is important visitors ensure their safety and the safety of others by adhering to fire bans and consulting with park staff if they are unsure of how to properly extinguish a fire. Firewood may be collected from dead and down material on the ground but may not be removed from the campsite. Firewood may not be brought into the park because of the danger of transporting hazardous insects and disease.
In addition to camping, two youth hostels located near the canal provide outdoor travelers with dormitory accommodations and cooking facilities for inexpensive overnight lodging. They are Washington International Youth Hostel, 250 beds (202)737-2333, located at Milepost 0 and Harpers Ferry Youth Hostel, 40 beds (301)834-7652, located at Milepost 59.
Another unique way to experience the C&O Canal is to spend the night in one of the park’s historic lock houses and experience a unique interpretive program, Canal Quarters. Now, for the first time ever, you can stay overnight in a lockhouse and experience life as it may have been during a bygone era on the C&O Canal. Five lock houses along the towpath have been rehabilitated and furnished to evoke different eras in the canal's history. Find more information, or register to spend the night by visiting the C&O Canal Trust website http://www.canaltrust.org/quarters/
Whether it’s your first time to visit the C&O Canal or you are a regular visitor, a variety of year-round activities and programs appeal to all ages and interests. For a complete listing of activities and camping information please visit the C&O Canal’s website www.nps.gov/choh or contact park headquarters at 301-739-4200.
National Park Foundation Awards 2012 Impact Grant To C&O Canal National Historical Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Receives Grant From the National Park Foundation To Support Interactive and Engaging Projects That Will Strengthen Americans’ Connection With Their National Parks
Contact: Peggie Gaul, C&O Canal National Historical Park, 301-739-6072, peggie_gaul@nps.gov; Marjorie Hall, National Park Foundation, mhall@nationalparks.org, (202) 354-6480HAGERSTOWN, MD – The National Park Foundation, the official charity of America’s national parks, is proud to award Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park a 2012 Impact Grant to support the launch of the Children’s Garden at the Canal Farm in Frederick County, Maryland. This is a project that will teach urban youth how to grow produce in a sustainable manner and about the nutritional value of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. The grant is part of the National Park Foundation’s Impact Grantprogram which gives parks the critical financial support needed to transform innovative, yet underfunded ideas into successful in-park programs and intiatives.
The children’s garden will be a joint venture between the staff of C&O Canal National Historical Park, the Master Gardeners of Frederick County, and the Boys and Girls Club of Frederick County. The garden will be established at the Canal Farm which is located in rural Frederick County, just 15 miles from Frederick, MD where the Boys and Girls Club is located.
“This is a new and exciting type of program for the park,” said Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt. “The Children’s Garden will connect children to the park in an innovative way. While they learn about healthy living they will also be learning about the park and the National Park Service. Through our partnership with the Master Gardeners and the Boys and Girls Club of Frederick we will collaborate to help make those deep connections between the younger generation and national parks.”
“With these strategic grants, we have been able to positively impact hundreds of national parks across the country,” said Neil Mulholland, President and CEO of the National Park Foundation. “This unique program helps the parks enhance the visitor experience, engaging more people, and ultimately building a stronger community of park enthusiasts who share an appreciation and commitment to protecting America’s Best Idea, their national parks.”
The National Park Foundation, in partnership with ARAMARK through the Yawkey Foundation, The Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation and The HISTORY Channel, awarded Impact Grantgrants to 62 national parks across the country totaling more than $500,000.
A full list of grantees is available on the National Park Foundation website.
March 15, 2012 - Tugboat Recovered from Potomac River near Big Slackwater Construction Site
Contact: Peggie Gaul, 301-739-6072, peggie_gaul@nps.gov
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| Tugboat being lifted from Potomac River Photo courtesy of NPS |
The tugboat which sank in approximately 20 feet of water was carrying 200 gallons of diesel fuel. Two containment booms were placed around the perimeter of the tug to control any spillage and the contractor surveyed the water between the accident scene and Dam Number 4. Fortunately, none of the diesel fuel was spilled and a potential environmental hazard was averted.
The reconstruction of the towpath at Big Slackwater has been underway since late summer 2010. This project will restore a section of the C&O Canal towpath that was destroyed by flooding in 1996. The project is being funded through the National Park Service and the Maryland Department of Transportation's Transportation Enhancement Program and will be completed in 2012.
March 5, 2012 - City of Brunswick Joins Canal Steward Program at C&O Canal
Contact: Amanda Potter, amanda_potter@partner.nps.gov, 301-745-5810
HAGERSTOWN, MD -Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is pleased to announce that the City of Brunswick has become the first municipality to join the Canal Steward Program. The city has adopted a section of the C&O Canal towpath between the railroad crossing at milepost 55 and the Brunswick Family Campground adjacent to the Canal. They will repair potholes on their adopted towpath section using material supplied by the park.
Representatives from both the city and park were present at the signing ceremony on March 2, 2012. Mayor Carrol Jones, City Administrator Rick Weldon, Council Member Karin Tome, and Council Member Walt Stull represented the City of Brunswick. Superintendent Kevin Brandt, Volunteer Coordinator Geordie Newman, and Maintenance District Supervisor Skip Barnhouse represented the C&O Canal.
The Canal Steward Program engages individuals and groups in a long-term relationship with the C&O Canal National Historical Park in which they become caretakers of a designated site within the park. For additional information please visit www.chohvip.org or contact Amanda Potter at 301-745-5810 or amanda_potter@partner.nps.gov.
November 16, 2011 - C & O Canal Towpath to be repaired at Angler's - Parking Affected
Contact: Peggie Gaul, 301-739-6072
POTOMAC, MD - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park announces that repair work of the towpath breach near Angler's has begun. Classic Site Solutions is the primary contractor performing the work. Work is expected to be completed in fall 2012. After the 125 foot breach in the towpath is rebuilt, water flow will be restored in the C&O Canal between Widewater and Lock 6. Repair work will require periodic closures of all parking areas across from the Old Angler's Inn on McArthur Boulevard, as well as the lower drop off lot. Alternative parking is available at Carderock (2 miles east) and Great Falls (2.2 miles west). While the National Park Service recognizes this inconvenience to the public, these closures are necessary to assure visitor safety while construction is underway. Vehicular traffic will be prohibited at Angler's from 6:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. daily during the project's duration. Limited parking will be available after 5:00 p.m. weekdays, on weekends, and holidays. Every effort will be made to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists using the area. All visitors are asked to obey posted closure signs and stay on designated detour routes for their safety. Please obey flagmen and regulatory signs and do your part to assure that construction proceeds as quickly and safely as possible.
See National Park Service's C&O Canal closures page for current information
November 15, 2011 - Sycamore Island Pedestrian Bridge Reopens
Contact: Peggie Gaul, 301-739-6072
CABIN JOHN, MD - Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park has reopened Sycamore Island Pedestrian Bridge which crosses the C&O Canal and provides access to Sycamore Island from MacArthur Boulevard. During the recent closure bridge decking was replaced, structural maintenance was completed, and the bridge was painted. The steel truss bridge dates back to the early 1900's.
October 15, 2011 - C&O Canal National Historical Park Hosts Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at Catoctin Aqueduct
Contact: Bill Line, Toni Braxton, (202) 619-7400; Kevin Brandt, (301) 714-2201
HAGERSTOWN, MD - On Saturday, October 15, 1011, at 10:00 a.m., the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed restoration of the Catoctin Aqueduct. Light refreshments, live music, and interpretive programs were provided from 8:30 until noon. Guest speakers included United States Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Julianna Albowicz representing United States Senator Barbara Mikulski, Chief of Staff Bud Otis representing United States Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, Eric Brenner representative for Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley, Maryland Senator Ronald N. Young, Frederick County Commissioner David P. Gray, National Capital Regional Director Stephen E. Whitesell, National Park Service, Dr. George E. Lewis Jr. President of the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, and Superintendent Kevin D. Brandt of Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park as master of ceremonies.
The restoration was completed under contract by Corman Construction, based in Annapolis Junction, Maryland. The National Park Service's, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal NHP) awarded the $3.93 Million contract under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
"This is an outstanding day for all those who support and love the C&O National Historical Park," said U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a strong supporter of the restoration. "I was here for the groundbreaking of the project and I am here today because of the importance of this restoration to the region and because it provided jobs for Marylanders. "This restoration also will help stimulate tourism and development as more people come to view the site at which the C&O Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad first competed to cross Catoctin Creek, a major tributary of the Potomac."
The Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration (CAR) Fund, Inc. and with funding from the Community Foundation's C&O Canal Current Initiatives/Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, led the effort to raise awareness of the significance of the Catoctin Aqueduct and substantial funds to undertake the project.
"I can think of no other public project in this area where so many, well over 1,000, citizens, donors, and government officials have come together to restore a historic structure," said CAR Fund President, Dr. George E. Lewis, Jr. "a project of local, state, national significance and interest, a restoration that so many people have a piece of."
"Today we bear witness to the accomplishment of the impossible - or at least what we once thought was impossible. The impossible became possible because one man motivated and led us into dreaming with him that one day the Catoctin Aqueduct would stand whole again. Dr. George Lewis inspired us and together we put history in our hands and this aqueduct back together. The restoration of the Catoctin Aqueduct represents the best in community partnerships," Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Superintendent Kevin Brandt stated. "I applaud the many participants and heroes of this great effort and know that current and future generations of park visitors from across America and around the world will better understand the great 19th century battle waged between the titans of transportation that took place right here."
The Catoctin Aqueduct, one of the 11 aqueducts along the 184.5 miles of the C&O Canal, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The C&O Canal is the most intact and impressive example from America's 19th century canal building era. Catoctin Creek is the single national site where the two titans of period transportation, the C&O Canal and the B&O Railroad, struggled, fought, endured Asiatic Cholera, and finally compromised to cross in parallel a major tributary of the Potomac River; the Canal on the historic Catoctin Aqueduct and the railroad on the adjacent viaduct. The Catoctin Aqueduct was known as the most beautiful aqueduct on the Canal. On October 31, 1973, two of the three arches of the 139-year-old Aqueduct collapsed from frequent flooding.
"The Catoctin Aqueduct is a part of Maryland's history and America's history. But it's more than that. The restoration of this historic aqueduct means jobs, jobs, jobs for Frederick County- jobs in construction that brought us here today, and jobs in tourism tomorrow," Senator Mikulski said. "The Catoctin Aqueduct restoration project is a perfect example of Recovery Act funding put to work for local communities, both honoring our past and securing our future."
In addition, the NPS added important elements to the project including access improvements at Lander to facilitate the work and stabilization of the wing walls that protect the aqueduct from flooding on Catoctin Creek. Moreover, the project included removal of both the World War II era Bailey bridge that has served as passage across the creek for the last 37 years as well as the remnants of the failed footbridge erected in the 1970's after the Aqueduct collapsed. The project also included restoration of the stream bank and adjacent areas.
"Our infrastructure is an area where we have the largest investment deficit in our State, and that matters both for job creation today, and for what type of state we leave to the next generation," said Governor O'Malley. "The completion of the Catoctin Aqueduct restoration reminds us of our history as Marylanders and Americans. Thanks to our federal and private partners, we are able to create much-needed jobs for our families."
This project was made possible through an allocation of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding along with funds raised by Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, Inc. and The Community Foundation of Frederick County. Additional funding came from individuals, families, corporations, the C&O Canal Association, Tourism Reinvestment in Promotion and Product Program Development grants from the Tourism Council of Frederick County, Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, a State of Maryland Bond Bill, and funds received through the Maryland State Highway Administration's Transportation Enhancement Program. The Catoctin Aqueduct Adopt-A-Stone Program also raised money for this important project.
Together, the funds allowed the Catoctin Aqueduct construction project to be undertaken. Corman Construction began the rehabilitation of the Catoctin Aqueduct in the summer of 2010 and finished in late July 2011.