| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Lift Lock 33 |
| | Here, the forces of nature created a natural corridor for commerce. The Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers carved a notch in the mountains, providing passage west. Communities grew up on both sides of the river and later a turnpike, railroad, and canal came through this notch. The railroad and canal competed constantly until the railroad gained dominance. Because of the devastation of the Civil War and decreasing dependence on waterpower the area declined in importance. — Map (db m4978) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Exploring Maryland Heights |
| | As the highest ridge surrounding the town of Harpers Ferry, Maryland Heights once bustled with private industry and Civil War occupation. Antietam Iron Works, a major nail producer in the early 1800s, burned the timber of the heights for charcoal to fuel furnace and forges. Traces of charcoal hearths and roads remain today as testimony to this industry. Civil War earthworks, stone fortifications, and encampments transformed the mountain into a fortress from 1862 to 1865. Today, these former . . . — Map (db m5034) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Maryland Heights - Mountain Fortress of Harpers Ferry |
| | You are standing on the border between North and South during the Civil War. As the highest ridge surrounding Harpers Ferry, Maryland Heights played a prominent role in the strategic operations of both the Union and Confederacy. Southern forces under Col. Thomas J. Jackson first occupied this ground in early May 1861, violating Maryland's neutrality. Confederates remained here until they abandoned Harpers Ferry on June 15, 1861. "I have finished reconnoitering the Maryland Heights, and . . . — Map (db m4982) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Naval Battery |
| | Positioned 300 feet above the Potomac River the Naval Battery was the first Union fortification on Maryland Heights. Hastily built in May 1862, its naval guns were rushed here from the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard. Along with a detachment of 300 sailors and marines, the battery was equipped to protect Harpers Ferry from Confederate attack during Stonewall Jackson's famous Valley Campaign in the spring of 1862. Thwarted that spring, Jackson returned to Harpers Ferry in mid-September 1862, during . . . — Map (db m4985) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Hiking Maryland Heights |
| | Here the trail divides and the choice is yours. Time and hiking difficulties are important factors as you select your trail route. The Stone Fort Trail To your left, is a strenuous but rewarding hike to the summit. The route passes Civil War forts and campgrounds, scenic overlooks and weathered charcoal hearths. Distnace: 3.3 miles Time: 3 hours round trip. Be Prepared! There are no restrooms or water along either trail. The Road to Retreat You are hiking the same mountain . . . — Map (db m5000) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Harpers Ferry - Changes through Time |
| | Situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, Harpers Ferry was named for Robert Harper, a millwright who continued a ferry operation here in 1747. The waterpower of the two rivers - harnessed for industry - generated tremendous growth in Harpers Ferry. By the mid-19th century, the town had become an important arms-producing center and east-west transportation link. John Brown's raid and the Civil War brought Harpers Ferry to national prominence. Destruction from the war and . . . — Map (db m5033) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — 30-Pounder Battery |
| | Positioned here at the end of a towering plateau, this fortification was the first earthen battery built on the mountain by the Federals in the fall of 1862. Facing south, its guns "commanded perfectly the summits of Loudoun Heights as well as Bolivar Heights." A four-sided earthwork forms the dominant feature of this battery. Protecting its exterior slope is a dry moat - the widest, longest, and most uniform moat on the mountain. 30-pounder Parrotts were standard armament here. — Map (db m5032) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — 100 - Pounder Battery - Heaviest and Highest |
| | During an inspection in late April 1863, Brig. Gen. John G. Barnard recommended that a gun be placed at a high point on this crest, "surrounded by a wall of sandbags, and arranged to fire not only on Loudoun Heights [across the Potomac] but into either of the valleys east and west of Maryland Heights." To comply with Barnard's recommendation, Union soldiers mounted a 100-pounder Parrott rifle on this manmade platform. With the mountain cleared of trees, the gun easily covered a 360° target . . . — Map (db m3854) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Stone Fort |
| | To command Maryland Heights' highest point, the Federals built this massive foundation, called the Stone Fort in the winter of 1862-63. Union engineers designed this defense as an infantry blockhouse to ward off Confederate attack along the crest. The Northerners completed the blockhouse foundation but never constructed a superstructure. By September, 1863, the Union garrison had transformed the Stone Fort into a commissary and storage area. During an inspection by Brig. Gen. Max Weber in . . . — Map (db m5010) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Interior Fort |
| | You are standing inside the Interior Fort, facing its north wall - the most imposing earthwork on Maryland Heights. This nine-foot-high parapet and accompanying ditch defended the crest from attack from the north. The five embrasures which cut through this wall served as artillery positions for howitzer guns, and later, 30-pounder Parrott Rifles. A Union recommendation that "all plateaus or gentle slopes between the crest and Harpers Ferry be held" suggests the purpose and origin of the . . . — Map (db m5028) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Exterior Fort |
| | Built in 1863 to strengthen a double row of rifle-pits and to protect against attack from the north, the Exterior Fort consisted of two parallel rock walls, or breastworks, about 530 feet apart. The south line, visible in front of you, extended 520 feet down the mountain's steep western slope. The north defensive work extended 560 feet. Together they enclosed about 3 acres, including a campground. Typical of such breastworks, these lines consisted of a thick, dry-laid stone wall that stood . . . — Map (db m5009) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Civil War Campgrounds |
| | For more than three years - May 1862 through July 1865 - Union soldiers lived, worked, and played on Maryland Heights. They built numerous campgrounds on this inhospitable mountain that lacked water, level ground, or adequate sanitation conditions. The stone walls, visible across this plateau, perhaps marked a camp boundary; they may simply be rock mounds piled by soldiers while clearing a camp site. As you continue along the trail, look for clues of encampments such as stone foundations and . . . — Map (db m5007) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Charcoal Making on Maryland Heights |
| | The charcoal industry required wood; Maryland Heights offered plenty. From 1810 to 1848 the Antietam Iron Works, 7 miles to the north, cut trees on the mountain to make charcoal to fuel its furnace and forges. The burning charcoal helped produce refined iron, from which the Antietam Iron Works made nails and other tools. Just above you are the remains of a typical charcoal hearth, one of 57 recorded on the 783 acres of Maryland Heights. Colliers, the skilled men who made the charcoal, formed a . . . — Map (db m5004) |
| Maryland (Washington County), Sandy Hook — Making a Mountain Citadel |
| | Tired and breathless? You are experiencing the hardship of a Union soldier climbing to reach his work place (a fort) or his home (a tent or log cabin). Try ascending this road hauling a 9,700-pound gun tube or a week's supply of water. From 1862 through 1863, the Federals built seven fortifications and staked out numerous encampments on this rugged and remote mountain. Maj. Frank Rolfe of the First Massachusetts Heavy Artillery Regiment described the effort: "...the batteries were situated . . . — Map (db m4992) |
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