KATHI ASH, 2012 centered on Hampstead Hill (now Patterson Park). The 18th-century Rodgers House [20] , recognized as the town’s oldest structure still standing, was set on fire three times by the British but survived. Walking-tour map guides are available from the Havre de Grace Visitor Center and highlight attractions such as the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum and Havre de Grace Decoy Museum. Havre de Grace’s boardwalk promenade runs a half-mile along the waterfront between the Concord Point Lighthouse and a popular park overlooking the City Yacht Basin. Easy Susquehanna River access is available via Jean S. Roberts Memorial Park. Another raid resulted in the destruction of the Principio Furnace [21] near Perryville, but the iron-manufacturing operation was quickly restored and remained active well into the 20th century. A trip through this area along the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway and Scenic Byway leads to land and water trails for optimum hiking, biking and kayaking enjoyment. Bird-watchers should keep an eye out for bald eagles and great blue herons. Other Maryland Scenic Byways include the easy-going Mason & Dixon Byway just south of the Pennsylvania border and the Horses & Hounds Byway in an area traditionally known as “Hunt Country.” Charlestown [22] was the only Maryland town to officially surrender to the enemy during the War of 1812. Though never really threatened, Charlestown seemed vulnerable to the same devastating British raids going on all around the area. Today, an impressive historic district actually predates the war. + Above: War of 1812 Battle Monument – Baltimore. Left: Hampton Mansion – Towson. ©RALPH ESHELMAN, 2004 unexploded “bomb” that had been fired at Fort McHenry and a cane made from the wood of a poplar tree under which British General Ross was killed during the Battle of North Point. During a visit to the city in 1827, President John Quincy Adams called Baltimore “the Monumental City” for its many statues, including the 52-foot-tall War of 1812 Battle Monument [10] that is represented on the city’s official seal and incorporated into its flag. A stunning view of the Inner Harbor is available atop Federal Hill, where monuments honor both Major General Samuel Smith, who was in charge of the defense of Baltimore, and Lieutenant Colonel George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry. Meanwhile, the 157-foot-long Pride of Baltimore II [11] , a working example of an 1812-era topsail schooner, is docked in the Inner Harbor area when it’s not sailing the globe as the state’s Goodwill Ambassador. Just to the south is Leone-Riverside Park [12] , the former site of Camp Lookout, which played a supporting role in the repulse of a British nighttime flanking maneuver. Beyond Baltimore’s northern border (19 miles from Fort McHenry), Towson’s Hampton Mansion (nps.gov/hamp) [13] is considered to be one of the finest and largest surviving examples of Georgian architecture in the United States. The mansion belonged to Charles Carnan Ridgely, whose foundry supplied cannons for privateers. The defense of Baltimore, coupled with an American victory on Lake Champlain, signaled that the end of the war was in sight. The United States and Britain agreed upon the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814. Back in Baltimore, a somber reminder of the high price America paid to preserve this “land of the free” is found at Green Mount Cemetery [14] . The remains of more than 300 War of 1812 veterans are among 65,000 individuals buried here. + Star-Spangled Banner Travel Guide | 47 BALTIMORE & VICINITY
Star-Spangled Banner Star-Spangled Banner 2018: Page 47
