New Germany State Park - Grantsville MD

City:: Grantsville, MD
Site Type:: Parks and Recreation, Lodges, Ranger Stations and Visitor Centers, Paths and Trails, Campgrounds and Cabins, Lakes and Ponds, Picnic and Other Facilities
New Deal Agencies:: Work Relief Programs, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Started:: 1933
Completed:: 1942

Description

CCC-built structures at New Germany State Park, that are still in use today, include a recreation building, cabins, and picnic shelters. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “Today the Recreation Hall (Rec Hall) is the site for many reunions, weddings, and other special events.”

The CCC transformed Swauger’s Lake into what is now New Germany Lake. Swauger’s Lake was used for powering a mill and making ice. The CCC drained the lake and cleared it out of logs & stumps, making it safe to swim in. It was then stocked with fish.

Other work performed at New Germany State Park included tree planting, fire suppression work, and creating trails & roads.

Today, visitors to New Germany State Park can engage in just about any park activity imaginable: Fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, skiing, camping, and more. All thanks to the hard, competent, and lasting work of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

Source notes

(1) Maryland Department of Natural Resources, at https://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/newgermany.asp and https://www.dnr.state.md.us/centennial/CCC_History_Part_II.asp, accessed November 10, 2013. (2) Information signs at park. (3) Maryland’s Forests and Parks: A Century of Progress, by Robert F. Bailey III, on behalf of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2006.

Site originally submitted by Brent McKee - wpatoday.org on November 11, 2013.