~ Daim't June,2002 TOWPATH CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL ASSOCIATION
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ALONG THE Vol. 34, No. 2 ~ DaiM't June,2002 TOWPATH CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL ASSOCIATION Concerned with the conservation of the natural and historical environment of the C&O Canal and the Potomac River Basin NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR THE C&O NHP Kathy Sholl, NPS "Into the new and restore the old" is part of the future for the C&O Canal National Historical Park. One plan for the future has now been realized with the move of headquarters into a more modern and larger facility. The C&O Canal National Historical Park headquarters is now housed in the Crystal Building at 1850 Dual Highway in Hagerstown, Md. The former location for the headquarters, Ferry Hill Mansion, is also part ofthe park's future. Plans are underway to restore this historic site near Shepherds town, West Virginia as an educational center. The new headquarters has 15,494 square feet of space for about 40 staff members in one building. At Ferry Hill, staff were spread out among five outbuildings. Ferry Hill Mansion was built circa 1810 as a residence and did not have proper support for modern office equipment or adequate access to the second floor. The Crystal Building is energy efficient and offers accessibility for the handicapped, training and conference rooms for staff, and environmentally controlled storage space for historic photos and map collections. The new Crystal Building and the restoration of Crystal Building Kathy Sholl historic Ferry Hill connects the past to the future for the C&O Cm~. 0 WIDEWATER: THE ROCKY RUIN Carl Linden The C&O Canal Association has taken on a partnership with the park service in an effort to realize its plan to bridge over the rocky ruin ofthe western section ofthe towpath along Widewater approaching Lock 15. The park service plan envisages bridging this rock-strewn and rough, yet spectacularly beautiful section with an elevated walkway. All of us who have ventured to cross the section by foot or carry our bicycle know how daunting and hazardous a trek it can be. The accompanying photos of the section will give the reader who has not yet visited Widewater an idea of what we are talking about. If you have not visited Wide water you have missed one of the truly scenic areas of the canal and river. It was Hurricane Agnes that tore up and washed away the section thirty years ago. An earlier plan proposed in the 70's unfortunately foundered in a swirl of controversy over just how Crossing Widewater Carl Linden the repair ought to be done. This is unlikely to recur. The prospects for the current plan's realization, however, will be much improved by a strong showing of citizen support. Here is where the Association's assistance as a partner comes in. Hap pily our drive in support of the project was given a very strong start by the $100,000 challenge grant which the Association recently received from the Kimbrough family (See the March issue for details). The first step in raising funds to match the Kimbrough grant was made at this year's March for Parks celebration at Great Falls on April 13th. Participants in the day's program of hiking, canoe and kayak races and training sessions made contributions to the Widewater fund. The Association served as sponsor of the event and Ranger Nancy Poe did a sterlingjob in planning, organizing and energizing the March for Parks events. Some four thousand dollars was raised on the occasion and a good first step made in our journey to match the Kimbrough grant. Our new Towpath Tags for 2002 also were made available at our Association kiosk at the Great Falls Tavern during the Widewater looking downstream. Jeff Norton March for Parks celebration. (See the March issue for details on from national parks in the south eastern region of the U.S., the Tag program.) Ken Rollins manned the kiosk throughout the specialize in developing partnerships in their own localities. day. The kiosk is a tripod with three large panels that tell about The Towpath Tag program, it should be noted, was given its the Association's purposes and activities as well as provide space formal kickoff at the Cumberland Canalfest on Saturday, May for exhibits and bulletins. In this instance the Towpath Tag 18th. Theodore E. Bear was on hand to hawk the tags to Canalfest program was advertised. By the way, the kiosk is the product of visitors. All Towpath Tag donations go directly into the Canal Ken's fine craftsmanship, is easy to carry and set up, and is well Park's restoration and repair fund. designed for use at various Association functions and sponsored In sum, the Association's task is to raise funds to match the events. generous Kimbrough grant and, thereby, show strong citizen On May 23rd, Superintendent Doug Faris and Association support for restoration of this very heavily used section of the Board member Carl Linden took the participants in an NPS towpath. Part and parcel of the effort is making citizens and park Partnership Conference on a tour from the Great Falls Tavern to visitors aware of the Canal Park's need for their continuing Great Falls and on to Widewater to take a look at the damaged support and show them how they can help. towpath section. Doug and Carl spoke to the participants and As always, all contributions for restoration work that are sent answered their questions about the Monocacy Aqueduct restora to the Association are tax deductible and will be wholly used for tion and the Widewater projects. The Monocacy and Widewater that purpose without any deductions for overhead. Make a projects are good examples of such partnerships. The conferees, contribution today! 0 C&.O Canal Opens Maple Avenue Extension in Brunswick C&O Canal National Historical Park has opened the Maple Avenue extension in Brunswick and is the first of a number of improvements that will be made along the C&O Canal in Brunswick in the next 12 to 18 months. The Maple Avenue extension will remove most ofthe traffic from the bridge carrying Md. Route 79 across Lock 30. Improvements to the Brunswick area along the canal will include removing vegetation along the canal prism, providing improved access to the boat ramp using the Maple Avenue ex tension, and eventually providing an alternative trail that would separate recreational use from vehicular traffic to enhance visitor Jeff Norton Biker Traversing Widewater. safety and enjoyment. 0 2 Along the Towpath NEWS FROM THE PARK SERVICE Widewater or "The Long Wall" The glowing reports of this assessment would prove to underestimate dramatically the power of the Potomac River to reclaim the inactive channel during periods of high water. 1ames M. Perry Repeated breaks of the canal and towpath at Widewater, Historian Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park known historically as "the long wall," can be documented in 1847, 1852,1877,1889,1924,1936,1942,1972,1976, 1984,and 1996, The calm serenity ofthe Widewater area on a pretty spring day despite efforts such as reinforced stop locks, guard banks, belies perhaps the most hydraulically complex section of the retaining walls, cribbing, gabion baskets, and riprap. The 1889 Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The decisions made by canal flood, which was also responsible for the devastation at 1ohns builders in the 1820's continue to have ramifications in the town, Pennsylvania, washed away the lockhouse at Lock 15. twenty-first century, as evidenced by the rocky and uneven nature Some of the most devastating floods have occurred in recent of the towpath there. memory. In1une 1972, Hurricane Agnes caused a breach of150 Engineers designing the canal elected to utilize a dry river feet at Widewater. Record snowfalls and the resultant runofffrom melting led to floods in 1976, and again in 1979, caused notable channel to minimize necessary blasting through boulders in a nearly one-mile segment at Bear Island, near the settlement of damage. A 36 inch snowstorm, topped off by a 2-inch rainfall in Cropley and downstream from Lock 15. An 1831 inspection 1anuary 1996, resulted in a washout of material but minimal towpath breaching. This was followed nine months later by report noted a slope wall of dry masonry as high as 40 feet in Hurricane Fran, with additional impact at Widewater. This fragile some places, was designed: section has challenged its caretakers - from the original canal not only to sustain the pressure to which it is company to the Civilian Conservation Corps and the National exposed, but also because it was the most con Park Service - in a never-ending battle with the forces of nature. venient and economical way ofdisposing of the vast quantities of stone which had to be blasted 0 out of the path of the canal in its vicinity. Fiscal Year 2002 Budget and Annual nance including general maintenance throughout the park such as maintaining the towpath, mowing, cleaning restrooms, and Performance Plan For C&.O Canal Are maintaining equipment, etc., with a portion of the funding Available for Public Review dedicated toward establishing a crew to concentrate on preserving the park's deteriorating historic structures. C&O Canal National Historical Park Superintendent $1,147,000 for general administration and management ofthe Douglas D. Faris announced today that the park's annual perfor national historical park. mance plan and documents providing details about the appropri Keith Whisenant 0 ated budget and fee revenues for fiscal year (FY) 2002 are available for review as required by the National Parks Omnibus Manage C&.O Canal Selected for Proud ment Act of 1998.