C&O Canal Preservation Challenge!

You may be asking yourself, what is preservation? Why is it important or why should you care? Historic preservation helps us answer those questions, "What places, stories, or artifacts are important in our history? What parts of our past can we preserve for the future?"

Preservation has many forms! Think of historic battlefields, your favorite fossil exhibit at a museum, or even homes of important figures in history, these are all examples of history preserved for generations to understand and learn!

Many people work in historic preservation: archeologists, architects, curators, historians, landscape architects, and other cultural resource professionals. The cultural resources preserved by the C&O Canal includes the largest collection of 19th-century canal features and buildings in the National Park system.

Historic preservation helped researchers understand how humans lived throughout the past 13,000 years along the Potomac River. The C&O Canal is the backbone for national and regional trail systems, so it is vital to preserve these beautifully designed transportation routes.

Visit the National Park Service (NPS) Historic Preservation website to learn more about what NPS does to preserve natural and cultural history.

Below are a few examples of historic buildings and places along the C&O Canal that have been preserved.

 

Left image
Georgetown’s Veterinary Hospital back during the heyday of the Canal.
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
Georgetown’s Veterinary Hospital in 2020; now Circa Energy.
Credit: Intern Raisa Kellen R. Barrera

 

Left image
Great Falls Tavern during the heyday of the Canal.
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
Great Falls Tavern and Visitor now during this time period (2020).
Credit: NPS Photo

 

Left image
Cushwa Building and Basin during the heyday of the canal with Canal Boats in the Basin.
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
Cushwa Building and Basin now (2020).
Credit: Intern Kelly Savannah

 

Left image
A family in a canoe boat riding along the canal over the original Conococheague Aqueduct.
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
The restored Conococheague Aqueduct (2019).
Credit: NPS / Tim Ware

 

Left image
Cumberland during the heyday of the Canal.
Credit: NPS Photo

Right image
Cumberland now, (2020).
Credit: Ranger Stephanie Siemek

 

Think of something that you would like to preserve. It can be anything including a person, a place, a story, or an activity. Complete one of the following activities below.

 

Historic photo of woman sculpting a wax horse.

NPS Photo / Tumacacori National Historical Park, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

Sculpt it

Use play-doh or clay to sculpt what you would like to preserve! What is your favorite place to visit? Do you have a favorite park? What building or place do you want to see for years to come?
Great Activity for Pre-K & Up

 

Artwork -"The Beginning of Greatness;" a painting of a river and spruce trees - in front of the scenery that inspired it.

NPS Photo / Noatak National Preserve, Alaska

Draw It

Grab a piece of paper and a pencil to sketch out what you want to preserve. What makes this place or space special? You may also choose to use markers, crayons, colored pencils or paint to color in your design.
Great Activity for all grade levels

 

A person standing with a camera taking photos in the forest.

NPS Photo / Lassen Volcanic National Park

Photograph It

Here’s a chance for your artistic side to shine! You can choose for the photograph to be in black and white, color, create a composition of several pictures or feel free to use a software program on your computer or phone to make special effects!
Great activity for older grade levels 6^th & Up

 

Two visitors pose inside a large social media booth frame.

Redwood National and State Parks

Share Your Canal Story: Preservationist Challenge

There are so many ways to awaken your inner artist at your National Park! Nature photography is a popular way to have fun and appreciate your surroundings. Create Your Canal Story on your favorite social media platform using the Facebook Story or Instagram Story features! You are also encouraged to use any other technology available to you to create a video or mini documentary. See below for challenge instructions:

Directions In a video (30 seconds – 1 min) create a “Story” answering one of the following questions:

1. Visit one of the historic buildings and places that the C&O Canal has preserved listed above. In your video answer, “Why should we preserve this space and resources?”

2. Visit one of the locks and lockhouses along the C&O Canal. Learn more about the engineering of locks and more on the C&O Canal NHP website. In your video answer, “Why should we preserve the history of old technology, including the locks of the C&O Canal?” Visit any of the Mile Posts along various parts of the C&O Canal. Research the history of local area and create a video documenting what you learned. Make sure to include why you thinks it’s important to preserve this part of history

Challenge requirements

1. Must include captioned text if talking in video

2. Instrumentals of songs highly encouraged

3. Content must be family friendly!

4. Marketing of brands is prohibited

5. Must be first-person perspective, no faces allowed

6. Must follow Leave No Trace Principles while completing challenge to help protect your National Park for future generations to enjoy!

 

Student sketch of mules.

NPS Photo

Share your work!

If you would like to share your creations and what you have decided to preserve you may do so by emailing us at [e-mail] or you can post your work on social media, using #FindYourPark, #candocanal and tag us @COcanalNPS for a chance for it to be featured on our site!