Multimedia Presentations

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is an exciting and beautiful place to visit and explore. Whether you are interested in history, nature, or recreation, there is something for everyone at the C&O Canal. If you are unable to personally visit the canal, you can take a virtual tour of the park and learn about it's history from your home. Click this link to be directed to canal podcasts courtesy of the C&O Canal Trust.

 

Paw Paw Tunnel Podcast

Come explore the Paw Paw Tunnel on the C&O Canal and see one of the greatest engineering feats of its time! Click here to view.

 

Ferry Hill Paint History Video

Listen as Aaron Wieland, Park Mason, provides revealing history about the types of paint used in Ferry Hill over the past 200 years.The voices you hear in the background are the women of the Pebble Project removing wallpaper for the building's rehabilitation in February 2012. Many layers and vibrant colors of paint were revealed in the process. We were lucky enough to have Aaron onsite to provide us with insight into the history of the changing layers of paint. Click here to view.

The transcript follows below:

"…plant oils, milk, they just went out and milked cows. Lime from the local lime kiln. Water. Pigments -they'd find the lady that dyed wool and just said, "Can I have some of your pigments?" And they'd add a little bit. They'd say "Oh, a little bit more or a touch of this" and the paint would be very very personalized according to the person that made it. It might have been the lady of the house who said, "I just see this color. This is the color that I want." And she would make it. And I think that's what gives all that paint in there such a beautiful character. It doesn't matter which generation is exposed-whether it's the yellow that's under the blue, or it's the green, or that beautiful burgundy in there. It's all just very magical to me."