Gathland State Park | |
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The War Correspondents Memorial Arch at Gathland State Park | |
Location | Frederick County & Washington County, Maryland, United States |
Nearest town | Burkittsville, Maryland |
Coordinates | 39°24′13″N77°38′28″W / 39.40361°N 77.64111°W [2] |
Area | 140 acres (57 ha) [3] |
Elevation | 961 ft (293 m) [2] |
Designation | Maryland state park |
Established | 1949 |
Administrator | Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
Website | Gathland State Park |
Gathland State Park is a public recreation area and historic preserve located on South Mountain near Burkittsville, Maryland, in the United States. The state park occupies the former estate of war correspondent George Alfred Townsend (1841-1914), who wrote under the pen name "Gath" during the American Civil War. The estate's few remaining original structures include the War Correspondents Memorial Arch, which sits alongside the Appalachian Trail. The park is operated by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. [4] The arch is a National Historic Monument maintained by the National Park Service. [5]
In 1884, Townsend acquired land in Crampton's Gap, the site of the Battle of Crampton's Gap and one of three gaps on South Mountain where the Battle of South Mountain had been fought between Union and Confederate forces in an early encounter in the Maryland Campaign. Townsend purchased the land as a retreat and immediately began designing the buildings that would become Gapland, his estate. His first project, Gapland Hall, an eleven-room house, was built in 1885. It was followed that year by Gapland Lodge, a stone servants' quarters. The large Den and Library Building with a study, library, and ten bedrooms was added in 1890; only its foundation and some fragments remain today. After Townsend's death, Gapland changed hands three times before being acquired by the Department of Forests and Parks and named as a state park in 1949. [6]
Townsend's most famous and longest-lasting project was completed in 1896: the War Correspondents Memorial Arch. It was the first monument in the world dedicated to journalists killed in combat; several similarly dedicated memorials have been raised since. [7]
Renovated in 1958, Gapland Hall is the park's visitors center and a museum for George Alfred Townsend ("Gath"), while Gapland Lodge has a museum depicting the battle at Crampton's Gap, which was fought just before the battle at Antietam. [4]
Visitors can also see the remnants of a mausoleum built for Townsend in 1895 but never used. Originally topped with the figure of a large bronze dog, only the chamber remains, the words "Good Night Gath" inscribed on its marble lintel. [6]
The park also hosts Civil War encampments and interactive "living history" weekends that demonstrate life in the 19th century.
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Crampton's Gap, also known as Crampton Gap, is a wind gap on South Mountain in Maryland.
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George Alfred Townsend was an American journalist and novelist. He worked as a war correspondent during the American Civil War. Townsend wrote under the pen name "Gath", which was derived by adding an "H" to his initials, and inspired by the biblical passage II Samuel 1:20, "Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askalon."
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Memorial gates and arches are architectural monuments in the form of gates and arches or other entrances, constructed as a memorial, often dedicated to a particular war though some are dedicated to individuals. The function is similar to that of a triumphal arch, with the emphasis on remembrance and commemoration of war casualties, on marking a civil event, or on providing a monumental entrance to a city, as opposed to celebrating a military success or general, though some memorial arches perform both functions. They can vary in size, but are commonly monumental stone structures combining features of both an archway and a gate, often forming an entrance or straddling a roadway, but sometimes constructed in isolation as a standalone structure, or on a smaller scale as a local memorial to war dead. Although they can share architectural features with triumphal arches, memorial arches and gates constructed from the 20th century onwards often have the names of the dead inscribed on them as an act of commemoration.
The Crampton's Gap Historic District comprises the battlefield where the American Civil War Battle of Crampton's Gap, part of the larger Battle of South Mountain, took place on September 14, 1862. The district extends on the west to the foot of South Mountain, and to the east of Burkittsville, beyond the eastern foot of the mountain. The district is characterized by steep mountain terrain in the west and open farmland in the east, with the small town of Burkittsville in the center, which is itself listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places. The district extends to the south to include Brownsville Gap. The district includes 98 contributing buildings, 78 of which are in the Burkittsville Historic District. Crampton's Gap at the crest of the mountain is encompassed by Gathland State Park, which features the War Correspondents Memorial Arch, erected in 1896 to memorialize journalists killed in wartime. The arch is listed on the National Register as part of Antietam National Battlefield. The mountainous portions of the district feature numerous stone walls, which were used by both sides for shelter against gunfire during the battle.
The Turner's and Fox's Gaps Historic District comprises the Civil War-era battlefield involved in the Battle of South Mountain, which took place on September 14, 1862. The district extends on the west to the slopes of South Mountain in the area of Zittlestown, and to the east beyond the foot of the mountain to the small community of Bolivar. The district is characterized by steep mountain terrain in the west and open farmland in the east, with Turner's Gap to the north and Fox's Gap to the south. The district includes 115 contributing buildings and structures. The most significant contributing buildings are the Mountain House Inn and the White House Inn, or Beachley House. Also included in the list is the Reno Monument at Fox's Gap, shown at right. The Old National Pike, now known as U.S. 40 Alternate, passes over South Mountain at Turner's Gap.
The National War Correspondents Memorial, part of Gathland State Park, is a memorial dedicated to journalists who died in war. It is located at Crampton's Gap at South Mountain, near Burkittsville, Maryland, in the United States.