Based within the 1740s, the Metropolis of Frederick, Maryland and Frederick County have been on the coronary heart of serious historic occasions from the Colonial interval, the American Revolution, the Civil Battle, the Industrial Revolution, and effectively into the 20th century. The county’s landscapes and waterways have been witness to and formed by these occasions, making it a area the place historical past and nature intertwine seamlessly, and the place out of doors recreation is a lifestyle.
The Roots of Recreation
Earlier than colonial settlement, the Tuscarora and Piscataway Nations inhabited Frederick County, using its pure sources like rhyolite from Catoctin Mountain and fish from the Monocacy and Potomac rivers. Their footpaths grew to become roads utilized by settlers and are actually a part of Frederick’s trendy community. Guests can find out about these early inhabitants whereas recreating at websites like Catoctin Mountain Park and Monocacy Nationwide Battlefield.
Frederick County’s finest mountain climbing and biking trails replicate its wealthy historical past. The C&O Canal Towpath within the C&O Canal Nationwide Historic Park runs alongside the Potomac River, following the previous mule towpath that pulled canal barges from the 1830s into the twentieth century. This 184-mile path, widespread with bikers, hikers, and walkers, stretches from Washington, DC, to Cumberland, Maryland. The Appalachian Path additionally traverses Frederick County, winding atop South Mountain and South Mountain State Battlefield, website of a vital Union victory in the course of the Civil Battle. Hikers on this path move by the Battle Correspondents Memorial Arch in Gathland State Park, the nation’s solely monument to journalists protecting battle zones.
Conservation and Preservation
Efforts proceed to protect and defend these pure sources because the area develops and grows. Guests to Frederick County can effortlessly transition from bustling Principal Streets to mountain climbing mountain summits, with numerous out of doors adventures in between. This being mentioned, Frederick County additionally provides a wealth of museums and historic websites to discover throughout the area.
The Nationwide Museum of Civil Battle Medication in Downtown Frederick tells the story of medical practitioners in the course of the Civil Battle. The Nationwide Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg honors America’s first canonized saint and her contributions to training. The Catoctin Furnace in northern Frederick County reveals the area’s iron business historical past. The positioning includes a blacksmith store, an organization retailer, mountain climbing trails, and the Forgeman’s Home, an 1820s employee’s home out there for in a single day stays.
The Catoctin Furnace Historic Society preserves the corporate city and tells the tales of enslaved employees via the Museum of the Ironworker and the African American Cemetery Path. For additional perception, the AARCH Society provides occasions and excursions that spotlight the numerous impression of African Individuals on the area’s historical past.
Claire McCardell, a Frederick native and trend innovator often known as the creator of American sportswear, is honored with a monument in Carroll Creek Park. Her story will be explored via a self-guided tour of Frederick. Moreover, the Schifferstadt Architectural Museum in Baker Park highlights the county’s colonial historical past and German roots, showcasing the tales of the area’s earliest European residents.
Extra to Discover
- The Monocacy Aqueduct: Praised as one of many most interesting canal buildings within the nation, was constructed from Sugarloaf Mountain granite. Building started in 1828 and completed in 1850, making it the biggest aqueduct over the C&O Canal, and a well-liked cease for hikers and bikers on the trail.
- Coated Bridges: Northern Frederick County options three historic lined bridges—Utica Mills, Loy’s Station, and Roddy Highway—every listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations. Take pleasure in their magnificence and structural selection on a scenic driving tour via the Maryland countryside.
