Cedarville State Forest CCC Charcoal Kiln
Description
The nearly 2,700 acres encompassing what is now Cedarville State Forest was originally purchased as a forest demonstration area by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in 1930. Located in Charles and Prince George’s County, CCC project S-54 was initiated here in May of 1933, with Camp 335-C building roads and trails for fire protection and increased recreational access within the park. Camp 335-C was one of only a handful of African American units in Maryland. The Cedarville camp numbered 192 men, and a camp work list dated from October 1934 included the construction of truck trails, forest stand improvements, the reduction of fire hazards, eleven miles of new telephone lines, fire tower construction, and fire lane road construction. A charcoal kiln built with CCC labor produced charcoal for campers and for local residents until the late 1960s and remains standing today. Visitors can view the kiln and interpretive information about the park at a nearby trailhead.
Many of the existing buildings, bridges, roads, and trails built by corpsmen in Cedarville State Forest remain as a testament to conservation efforts and the labor of Camp 335-C.
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Cedarville State Forest CCC Charcoal Kiln
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Cedarville State Forest CCC Charcoal Kiln Back View
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Cedarville State Forest CCC Charcoal Kiln Side View
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CCC Cottage at Cedarville
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CCC Cottage at Cedarville
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CCC Cottage at Cedarville
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CCC Cottage at Cedarville
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CCC Cottage at Cedarville
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Cedarville State Forest Interpretive Panel
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Cedarville State Forest Interpretive Panel Detail
Source notes
(1) Maryland Department of Natural Resources, at https://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/cedarville.asp (2) Interpretive signage at Cedarville State Forest, 10201 Bee Oak Rd., Brandywine, MD 20613. (3) “Cedarville Park Is a Mecca for Tourists”, by John Woodruff, Baltimore Sun, July 27, 1969. (4) More information on Cedarville State Forest can be found at https://www.wpatoday.org/CCC_3.html
Project originally submitted by Dr. Robert Krause, Preservationist, Prince William County, VA. on November 14, 2013.
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