National Park Service Trail Study by the Northeast Region

Marie Rust
Regional Director

Proposed Star Spangled Banner Trail Through Maryland and Washington, D.C. Studied by the National Park Service

The National Park Service, with the assistance of LDR International, Inc., an HNTB Company, of Columbia, Maryland, is studying the 1814 British Invasion of Maryland and Washington DC, and the American defense during the War of 1812.

Along with the other national historic trails that have been designated throughout the United States, the Star Spangled Banner Trail is being considered because it reflects significant events in American History, including the first time the nation’s capital was attacked by a foreign power. The trail designation provides opportunities for resource protection, active and passive interpretation, and public enjoyment.

Draft National Historic Trail Criteria Determinations Report

Comments are due September 15, 2002 to the draft National Historic Trail Criteria Determination s Report.  The draft report was prepared by the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trial Study Team based upon scholar/historian roundtables, public workshops, stakeholder comments, and a resource assessment. The report provides the historic context of the 1814 Chesapeake Campaign, describes the national significance of the 1814 Campaign, and states how the proposed trail segments meet the eligibility criteria for designation as a National Historic Trail. This report is to be reviewed by the National Park System Advisory Board in October 2002 and will be followed by a draft final study report and public workshops in November 2002.

Download the Draft Report ( 2.3 MB in PDF format)

This historic route is being considered for designation as a national historic trail and must meet certain legislative requirements to become an official trail in the National Trails System. Over the next year, the project team will assess trail alternatives and submit a Determination of Significance Statement to NPS. When trail route alternatives are developed, purpose and significance statements will be used to evaluate each alternative. Public participation will be encouraged through a series of meetings in the study area. (See back page for more information)

Under the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and Public Law 106-135, the National Park Service Advisory Board will determine if the Star Spangled Banner Trail is nationally significant. If significance is determined, feasibility and management options, including federal management, will be considered. If the trail is determined not to be nationally significant, state and local management options will be considered.

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A national historic trail is an extended trail that follows routes of travel that are historically and nationally significant. The trail must be significant with respect to any of several broad facets of American History, such as trade and commerce, exploration, migration and settlement, or military campaigns, and must have significant potential for public recreational use or historical interest based on historical interpretation and appreciation. The trail need not be continuous and might include land and water segments, marked highways paralleling the route, and sites that together form a chain or network along the route.

The purpose and significance of each trail is determined to examine the unique characteristics of the trail. Purpose and significance statements help ensure that management, resource protection, visitor use, and trail development is in accordance with the NPS mandates: to protect and preserve resources and to provide for the enjoyment of those resources by people.

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The designation of this route as a national historic trail will serve as a means to encourage preservation of the trail's history and physical remains. The trail will:

• Allow all of its visitors to envision and experience, in a coherent and interpretable way, the heritage and struggles that ensued during the War of 1812.
• Serve as a reminder of the importance of the concept of liberty to all who experience the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.
• Give recognition to the patriots whose determination to stand firm against enemy invasion and bombardment preserved this liberty for future generations of Americans.

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Route of Major Events

The proposed trail traces the following major events:

• The arrival of the British fleet on the Patuxent River
• The landing of the British forces in Benedict
• The sinking of the Chesapeake Flotilla at Pig Point in Prince George's County and Anne Arundel County, Maryland
• The American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg
• The siege of the Nation's Capital and the burning of the US Capitol and the White House in Washington D.C.
• The route of the American troops from Washington through Georgetown, the Maryland Counties of Montgomery, Howard, and Baltimore, and the City of Baltimore to the Battle of North Point
• The ultimate victory of the Americans at Fort McHenry on September 14, 1814

Map of Project Area

Download map of study area (348 Kb in PDF format)

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Star Spangled Banner Trail Study Schedule

• October 2000: Commence Star Spangled Banner Trail study
• November/December 2000: Data gathering / preliminary site selection and trail route
• January 2001: Public meetings
• April/May 2001: Historians' Seminar
• December 2001: Draft Statement of Significance/NPS Review
• June 2002: Draft National Historic Trail Criteria Determinations Report
• October 2002: Draft Significance Determination
• November 2002: Public workshops
• December 2002: Draft Final Study Report

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Contact Information

For more information about the Star Spangled Banner Trail project, please contact William Sharp at

william_sharp@nps.gov

or call (215) 597 - 1655

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Last Updated:
August 6, 2002