Monocacy National Historic Battlefield, Maryland

(Photo courtesy of Paul A. Shackel)

“A broader interpretation of the archeological significance of the Best Farm allows for the preservation of much more than the battlefield. The agricultural history of the early American frontier, early railroad construction techniques, prehistoric lifeways, and evidence of Maryland’s French connection are potentially part of Monocacy National Battlefield’s archeological resources…..In the future, the park may be the only place in the area where these kinds of archeological resources remain intact.”

-Martha Temkin, 2000

Aerial view of Battlefield showing the boundaries of the Best Farm

Monocacy National Historic Battlefield, Maryland

Website:  http://www.nps.gov/mono/index.htm

The Monocacy Civil War battlefield encompasses some 1,650 acres in Frederick County, Maryland along the Monocacy River 30 miles northwest of Washington, DC. The area was designated a National Battlefield by Congressional legislation in 1934, but much of the property relevant to the battle remained in private ownership until the 1980s. Thus, park lands were not open to the public until 1991. The Best Farm, which was among additional properties acquired by the Park Service in 1993, is currently the site of archeological excavation being undertaken by the National Park Service through a cooperative agreement with the University of Maryland. Because the development of the park began relatively recently, the archeological excavations promise to contribute substantially to the interpretation of the battlefield.

Geography and History

In the mid-18th century the town of Frederick was laid out and surrounding areas were divided into farmsteads. During the Civil War several important transportation routes through the Monocacy area (Georgetown Pike, major railroads, etc.) allowed significant troop movements through the region. The Battle of Monocacy, on July 9, 1864, led by Confederate General Jubal Early, was counted as a Confederate victory, but the battle helped prevent Early from making a successful assault on Washington, D.C.  John Best, the tenant on the farm at the time of the battle, continued his agricultural pursuits following the battle.

Archeology and Public Interpretation (from Beasley 2003)

Although not yet open to the public, the Best Farm is the focus of development plans at Monocacy National Battlefield, including relocation of the park’s primary visitor center to the farm’s northeastern boundary. The archeological identification and evaluation study of the Best Farm is intended to provide the National Park Service with detailed information that will aid in short- and long-term planning and development of the site.

The archaeological identification and evaluation study has looked at the following resources: Archaic period Native American sites, Colonial period landscapes, and Civil War landscapes.  In addition to the standing structures on the property, the archeological investigations have identified two Archaic period sites, an early 19^th-century barn dependency, a mid-19^th-century sheet midden, a mid- to late 19^th-century brick cistern, and an icehouse and a stone-lined privy of undetermined dates.

An important aspect of this study has been volunteer participation and local support and interest in the project. Volunteers from numerous local interest groups, including the Archeological Society of Maryland, the Urbana Historical Society, Friends of Monocacy Battlefield, and the South Mountain Relic and Coin Club, have contributed over 4,000 hours assisting the archeology team in all aspects of excavation as well as the washing, processing, cataloging, and labeling of collected artifacts.

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An Inspiring Guide

I. Introduction

II. Overview of the Program

III. Meeting the Mission

IV. The Public Meaning of Archeological Heritage

V. Archeology and Interpretation

VI. Study Tour of Parks

VII. Interpretive Products

VIII. Credits

IX. References

X. Resources and Links

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