We are extremely excited to announce that NeighborSpace has received a $110,454 Battlefield Protection Grant from the National Park Service (NPS) to benefit a trail project in Dundalk, MD. The original research funded by the grant will be used to interpret the 1.25-mile Bear Creek Heritage Trail, shown above, providing guidance for the trail’s design.

The proposed trail marks the historic site where Maryland militia took a defensive position during the War of 1812 to prevent the British from advancing along the “Patapsco Neck” to Baltimore. It seeks to connect those traveling up Bear Creek by water to two War of 1812 sites, Battle Acre and the North Point State Battlefield, and to a much larger trail project supported by the National Park Service, the Star-spangled Banner National Historic Trail. It will also provide educational and interpretive opportunities related to the War of 1812 and foster improved opportunities for land- and water-based recreation and heritage tourism.

Until now, little has been researched or published regarding the prominent role Bear Creek played within the defense of Baltimore in September 1814. The grant award will change that. The American Battlefield Protection Grant program funds research, documentation, and interpretive planning at battlefields and sites of armed conflict. The belief is that preserving these areas encourages Americans to explore the bonds of our shared history while creating space for reconciliation and healing in the future.

Leading the research effort is Glenn T. Johnston, a professor at Stevenson University.  Dr. Johnston noted that “What’s most exciting about this grant is that it is specifically designed to involve the community in the study and development of its own history.” Professor Johnston, who also intends to involve his students in the work, paints a picture of this grant that goes well beyond the potential for a future trail. Dr. Johnston believes that “this grant paves the way for the Dundalk community to be in touch with it’s own local history in a way it never has before. We are incredibly enthusiastic about what this original research might reveal and what doors it will open.”

The grant award follows on the heels of us acquiring an easement on the only piece of private land needed to complete the trail in 2016 and work done by the Neighborhood Design Center in 2019 to develop a Concept Plan for the site. That and subsequent work has been overseen by a Steering Committee consisting of local residents, NeighborSpace board members and staff, and representatives from the Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, which has been providing technical assistance to the project for several years. Baltimore County Government and the Baltimore County Public Schools are the major landowners and have been supportive of the project.

Steering Committee Chair and local resident, Rob Zacherl, noted that “exploring the history of Bear Creek’s role in both the Battle of North Point, as well as everything before and after the battle, is critical to doing this project right.” Patricia Paul, also a resident of Dundalk, a member of the Steering Committee, and one of the visionaries behind the project, said that she believes “that revealing the deeper heritage of the Bear Creek area will be crucial to moving the project forward.

Our proposal, “Illuminating Bear Creek’s Role in the Defense of Baltimore” is one of 11 funded by the National Park Service and receiving a share of the $1.19 million in total funds awarded. NeighborSpace joins an impressive list of awardees, including the University of Florida, Clemson University, and Vanderbilt University.

The project is expected to be completed over two years’ time and will include quarterly digital history updates, a final comprehensive report, a tri-fold brochure, a transportable, ten-panel exhibit designed to tell the history of Bear Creek in 1814, and an ArcGIS story map highlighting findings. Other key activities include two BCPS teacher workshops, a community lecture and tour, and meetings with heritage areas and County and State tourism officials on using the project’s findings to promote tourism.

We hope you will join us at one of our many events in interpreting the Bear Creek Heritage Trail. The first one is this Saturday, September 25th, 9 AM – 2 PM. Join NeighborSpace, Clean Bread and Cheese Creek& Maryland Waterways Foundation in beautifying the Charlesmont area of Bear Creek. We will be removing trash and debris from the water as well as removing problematic invasive species, and replacing them with natives. This will be an effort to beautify and restore the site, connect with the community and build a foundation for further successes in the area.