If you’ve been following NeighborSpace for a while, you’ll know that the Bear Creek Heritage Trail in Dundalk has been years in the making. We are proud to report that not only have the first two phases of the trail been constructed, research into the area’s history in the War of 1812 has also been completed.

Since 2012, NeighborSpace has been working with the Dundalk community to design and construct the Bear Creek Heritage Trail. This 1.25-mile trail will serve the dual goal of connecting community members with the area’s history and with the Bear Creek waterfront. With technical support from the National Park Service, NeighborSpace published a Phasing Plan in 2021 that described the six phases in which it intended to develop the trail. 

In the spring of 2022, Baltimore County awarded NeighborSpace a generous grant to begin building the Trail. The first two phases were recently completed and visitors can now safely walk from the trailhead at North Point State Battlefield, through the Battlefield, and across North Point Rd to Battle Acre Park. 

After visiting Battle Acre Park, which is currently being enhanced by Baltimore County with memorial stones, a flagpole, and other features, trail users can exit the park and take in the mural of the Battle of North Point before following the new trail to where it meets an existing alley. This trail segment has been landscaped with native trees, shrubs, and perennials to provide shade, visual interest, and environmental benefits such as stormwater absorption and wildlife habitat.

NeighborSpace is grateful for the continued support of the Baltimore County Planning Department and the County Council. We are excited to announce that NeighborSpace was recently awarded a $105,000 Baltimore County Community Improvement Grant that will fund the design of Phase 3 of the Bear Creek Heritage Trail. This portion of the trail will connect Phase 2 with Battle Monument School and will run along the head of Bear Creek on a trail easement that NeighborSpace holds on private property. This will be the first segment of the trail that connects visitors with the Bear Creek waterfront and it will provide an exciting opportunity to complement construction of the trail with environmental enhancements to the stream buffer.

A request for design proposals has been issued and is available on the NeighborSpace website. The deadline for submissions is Friday, June 21. 

Complementing the design-build efforts, a dedicated team of volunteers has been working behind the scenes for more than two years to interpret the area’s history. In the fall of 2021, NeighborSpace was awarded a $110,000 grant from the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program for original research into the role of Bear Creek in the War of 1812 and its society around that time. Under Dr. Glenn Johnston’s leadership, a team of community and professional historians has uncovered a plethora of fascinating stories, some of which we’ve previously shared in a separate newsletter titled The Preceptor. (Digital copies of both editions can be found on the NeighborSpace website.) The team’s work shed light on the physical and societal landscape of Patapsco Neck in the early 1800s and on the stories of several African-American residents as well as a few white women who played remarkable roles in the War. Perhaps most significantly, the team’s research dramatically changes the interpretation of the defense of Baltimore during the War of 1812: it appears that Baltimore’s successful defense between September 11 and September 14, 1814, was determined by the Battle of North Point and US defenses on Hampstead Hill, not Fort McHenry. 

These facts and others will be published in a comprehensive report later this year. In the meantime, NeighborSpace is working to highlight some findings on its website. 

Undoubtedly the most engaging way to learn about this history is to join Dr. Johnston for a field trip. If you missed the first two bus tours, there is one more opportunity this Saturday ! The tour is free and includes stops at several sites that played an important role in the defense of Baltimore.