The Deep Creek Blog

Maryland in the War of 1812- A Living History Event

The Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage Area in Garrett County and Garrett Lakes Arts Festival present a Star Spangled 200 sponsored event, Maryland in the War of 1812 - A Living History Event.  This project focuses on bringing the commemoration of the War of 1812 to Garrett County middle school students and also provides opportunities for western Maryland residents and visitors to participate in Maryland’s Star Spangled 200 activities.  This project is made possible by the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

The first part of the project provides an interactive presentation by award-winning actress and Smithsonian Scholar, Mary Ann Jung, playing Rosalie Stier Calvert. Rosalie married George Calvert in 1799 and became mistress of his plantation, Mt. Albion. When Rosalie’s father died, he left his plantation in Bladensburg, "Riversdale Plantation", to his daughter Rosalie -- not her husband, which was the custom. Through Rosalie’s remarkable story, participants will learn what it meant to be in charge of two growing plantations in early 1800's Maryland.

The performance will also explain the importance of the War of 1812 and how this era affected the newly independent United States of America. Audience members will become the British versus the Americans to better understand this important war and re-live the dramatic Battle of Bladensburg --- and find out how close it came to Rosalie’s beloved Riversdale. The stirring creation of the Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key, who married Rosalie’s friend Polly, is included as well. Performances will be held at Garrett College for 4th, 5th and 8th grade Garrett County students on Friday, April 5, 2013.

In addition, educational resources will be purchased for middle school teachers relating to the War of 1812, including books, videos and a traveling trunk, created by the Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, for Garrett County middle school students. The trunk focuses on life during the war for all Marylanders and contains 11 lesson plans and many hands-on objects, including flint and steel kits, period clothing, time period games, and books.

The Maryland in the War of 1812 – A Living History Event will be the grand finale for the project providing interpretation and experiential learning opportunities for the students and the general public.  This free celebration, scheduled for May 17-18, 2013 at the Garrett County Fairgrounds in McHenry, Maryland, will include on-site War of 1812 speakers and re-enactors, period music performed by musicians & singers in period garb and displays & education information, including a United States Navy display covering their beginning and their involvement with the War of 1812.  This event is free and open to the public. Event hours are 5 pm – 8 pm on Friday, May 17 and 10 am- 5 pm on Saturday, May 18th.

Read about "Maple Sugar from Garrett County"

Be sure to read Daina Savage's article on Garrett County's maple sugar tradition in Maryland Life Magazine.  

Casselman River Bridge in Need of Repair

One of my favorite spots in Garrett County, the historical Casselman River Bridge is in need of repair, as reported on today in The Times-News. 

Pictured here is "Trout Season", by Robert Yonke, featuring the bridge. 

 

Historic Barns of Maryland

Maryland Public Television will air a special on "Historic Barns of Maryland" this Wednesday February 29 at 8pm.  The special will include a segment on Garrett County Barn Quilts.  You might recognize some familiar faces and/or places in this preview below. 

 

Below is a picture I took of "Snail's Trail" on Bittinger Road this past summer. 

 

 

Heritage Area Grant Workshop

The Garrett County Heritage Area Grants Committee will be accepting grant applications for Fiscal Year 2013 which begins July 1, 2012. Heritage Funding is designed to assist and encourage the preservation of historical, archeological, natural and cultural resources in Garrett County that support economic development through heritage tourism. A mandatory pre-grant worshop will be held at the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce in the conference room on January 5, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Complete project applications will be due February 1, 2012. For additional information, please call Dee Dee Ritchie, Heritage Manager at the Garrett County Chamber of Commerce at (301) 387-2050 or by email at deidra@garrettchamber.com.

Holiday Delight at the Historic Friend's Store and Residence

Join park staff and volunteers for this unique holiday open house at The Friend’s Store and main residence on Saturday, December 17, 2011 from 5:00- 9:00 P.M.  

Celebrate in the traditional way with egg nog, hot cider and gingerbread.  Enjoy candle dipping, wreath making demonstration, and Dutch oven deserts along with other traditional crafts and activities.  

A candlelight tour of the property, including inside the house main foyer, library and main living room renovations will be provided from 6:00 -7:00 p.m. and 7:30-8:30 p.m.   Enjoy this special look inside the store and main residence decorated for the holidays with family and friends this holiday season!

For more information call 301-387-7067 Friday – Sunday 10am -4pm or visit our website at www.discoverycenterdcl.com 

 

Enjoy Guided Garrett County Barn Quilt Tours With Your Cell Phone

While taking the Barn Quilt Tour around Garrett County, you can now call 301-501-5063 from any phone to learn more about the quilts.  While takign the tour, call from your cell phone and enter the stop number of the block (the same as the block number) and listen interesting facts and stories about the blocks.   Even if you’ve seen all the blocks already, you might want to do it all over again just to hear the stories.   If you know of a business in the area of a barn quilt that would like to sponsor a stop on the tour, please refer them to one of the board members or have them email info@GarrettBarnQuilts.org or call 877-577-BARN (2276).

WQED Production on Leo Beach Receives Mid-Atlantic Emmy Nominations

Leo Beachy: A Legacy Nearly Lost has been nominated for two Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards in the categories of:

• Outstanding Historic/Cultural Feature
(David Solomon, writer/producer; Paul Ruggieri, photographer/editor)
• Outstanding Program Writer
(David Solomon)

The nominated work is a follow-up to a previously-acclaimed WQED story on Beachy’s life. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences will announce this year’s Emmy® winners September 24, 2011 at a ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Leo Beachy was a teacher turned photographer in the early 1900s who took pictures of life in the Appalachian region of Western Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. After his death in 1927, most of Beachy’s glass plate negatives were destroyed. Decades later, some of the plates miraculously found their way back to his niece, Maxine Beachy Broadwater of Grantsville, MD. And so began her tireless efforts to preserve the negatives and share the unforgettable, historic images.

WQED writer/producer David Solomon and photographer/editor Paul Ruggieri first told the Beachy story in a short 2008 OnQ feature. The story was a viewer favorite, won a 2008 Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Award, and caught the attention of the Naylor Foundation, which in turn awarded the Garrett County Historical Society a $40,000 grant to preserve the priceless negatives and make them available world-wide for educational purposes.

In 2011, Solomon and Ruggieri expanded the 2008 story into documentary form on the WQED program, EXPERIENCE, showing the intricacy of the preservation process and revealing newly-printed photos. Included in the updated story are memorable interviews with Mrs. Broadwater, photo archivist Chris Schwer, Grantsville resident Mabel Stanton, Grantsville pharmacist Gerald Beachy and Bob Boal of the Garrett County Historical Society. The new segment resulted in the two Emmy® nominations this month.

EXPERIENCE is a half-hour, locally-produced documentary series that airs on WQED-TV Mondays at 7:30 p.m. EXPERIENCE will return on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. this fall on WQED-TV with encore broadcasts on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Additional episode information, links and past episodes of EXPERIENCE may be found online at wqed.org/experience. For updates on EXPERIENCE viewers may “Like” the show’s fan page on Facebook.

Casselman Publication Celebrates 50th Edition

The Daily American reports on the The Casselman Chronicle celebrating its 50th edition.  

Background on Mountain Names Controversy

The Times-News  gives information on the background of the recent controversy over proposed name changes for  Negro and Polish Mountains.

A Garrett County Treasure: Friends Store Holiday Delight

Read about Friends Store in the Times-News.  Caroline Blizzard and her staff have been hard at work over the past few years, bringing this Garrett County treasure back to life.  

Take an opportunity to visit Friend’s Delight Store to celebrate the holidays on December 18 from 12:00 - 2:20 pm.  Join the Park Naturalist for a demonstration on how to make wreaths out of white pine. Participate in holiday traditional crafts and activities. If the weather is applicable, there will be a snowman building contest. Stay warm by the campfire and have some refreshments. Take the opportunity to purchase artwork, jams/jellies, local maple syrup, baskets, and much more. 

2nd Annual Open House & Fall Fest at Friend's Store

Join the staff of Deep Creek Lake State Park as they close the first season at the Friend’s Store at Sang Run.  Stop by on Saturday October 2nd from 10am until 4pm and see what has been done to restore the property.  Experience some of the best Appalachia has to offer.

Special events and ongoing demonstrations include an 8:00 a.m. Bird Walk with Connie Skipper, Monarch Butterfly gagging, hay rides, and more.  Enjoy historical talks about the grounds and building while historical figure Thomas Cresap is on hand to talk to kids.  Purchase local maple syrup, jams, jellies, and baskets made on site. 

For more information and directions call the Discovery Center at 301-387-7067.  

Garrett County Developing Heritage Area Program

The Times-News reports on the progress Garrett County is making in becoming a certified Maryland Heritage Area.  

Dr. Alta Schrock Highlighted as Legendary Lady in Maryland Life Magazine

Dr. Alta Schrock was listed and highlighted as a "Legendary Lady" in the most recent issue of Maryland Life Magazine.  Schrock founded Penn Alps and Spruce Forest Artisan Village. 

Friends Store at Sang Run to Open Memorial Day Weekend

The Historic Friends Store will reopen for the summer season beginning Saturday May 29th.
 
The Maryland Park Service acquired the 81 acre property in 2008.  “We have been working hard to reopen the store as an Appalachian heritage showcase for the area” according to Ranger Caroline Blizzard.  The store will be replicated as closely as possible to keep its historic nature and place in the community.  We hope to bring to life through interpretive programming the traditions of Garrett County.  Programming of this nature will help insure that our heritage is preserved and passed on to the next generation.  Topics of interest will include gardening, native plant uses, and musical and craft traditions. Nature study such as bird walks, reptile programs, Jr. Rangers and hikes are also slated.
 
The store will also serve as a point of contact for river activity by rafters and tubers.
 
The Friends Delight shelter, now open to public use through reservations, and the Friend’s Store are great additions to our park. Our staff has worked hard to find ways to showcase this wonderful new addition to the Maryland Park Service. So stop by and see us or become a volunteer.  The store will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday’s through the summer.
 
For more information call 301-387-7067