Fort Frederick in western Maryland revisits history from long before Revolutionary times

BIG POOL, Md. ( DC News Now ) — If you happen to venture into western Maryland this extended holiday weekend and love American history, a visit to Fort Frederick will be well worth your while.

The expansive rural landscapes will take you back to well before the American Revolution.

Fort Frederick was founded in 1756 to protect the frontier during the French and Indian War. During the American Revolution, it was a prisoner-of-war camp.

Fast forward 80 years.

“A family by the name of Williams owned it throughout most of the 19th century,” explains Bob Study, Ranger at the Fort. “They had purchased themselves out of slavery here in Maryland and Virginia. And they were quite successful farmers. They owned it during the American Civil War when it was an outpost.”

Fort Frederick will host a historic retrospective this weekend about the British soldiers imprisoned on these grounds in the Revolutionary War.

“They were housed here for several years,” says Ft. Frederick Park Ranger Bob Study. “So, this field here was covered with huts that they built to live in, as well as the barracks. There was even an uprising here where the prisoners were fed up with not having enough food.”

Will Foster from Sharpsburg, Md., visited Fort Frederick today and said, “It’s just awesome. You get to see the history. It’s quiet and beautiful. Lots of different things to look at here.”

The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the week.

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