Welcome to the Prairie

You have arrived at the only unit in the National Park Service dedicated to the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Tallgrass prairie once covered a vast region that stretched from Mexico into Canada. Today, only a small fraction - perhaps less than ...

Build It And They Will Come

Battleground to Community

In 1818 the Private Rockville and Washington Turnpike Co. began building a road to link Washington City to Rockville, Maryland. This road helped create a village. A toll gate on what today is Georgia Avenue between Quackenbos ...

Why is the Washington Monument Temporarily Closed?

On August 23, 2011, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia sent tremors throughout eastern North America. This seismic activity affected a number of Washington, D.C. landmarks, including the Washington Monument. National Park Service engineers and experts in historic ...

The Sea Wing Disaster / Victims of the Sea Wing Disaster

On July 13, 1890 the steamer Sea Wing, heavily loaded with 215 passengers and crew, left the steamboat landing here for a Sunday excursion down the Mississippi River to Lake City.

The Sea Wing, based in Diamond Bluff, Wisconsin, was usually ...

St. Matthew's Church

On Jan. 1, 1838, Rev. F. Winter organized the German Evangelical Reformed and Lutheran congregation, later named St. Matthew's Lutheran Church. Original log church 1840-1855. Present church dedicated 1855.

Marker is on St. Matthew's Church Road, on the right when traveling ...

Matthew Stanley Quay Home

This house, built by Samuel French, about 1845, was the home (1884-1904) of Matthew Stanley Quay. Born in 1833, Quay graduated at age 17 from Jefferson College. His first political office was as prothonotary. After a brilliant Civil War record ...

The White Cemetery

Founded in Cannelton by John White in late 1800's. Owner of coal and clay mines, friend of Harmonists, he was superintendent of Darlington Cannal Coal R.R. Cemetery marked by Italian marble statue depicting White's daughter.

Marker is on Cannelton Road 0.2 ...

The Patowmack Canal

[Great Falls Park]

The shallow ditch behind this sign marks the bed of the Great Falls portion of the Patowmack Canal. A system of by-passes to provide riverboats easy passage around waterfalls in the Potomac River; it was promoted by George ...

The Dime Savings Bank

of Chester County, Pennsylvania

Chartered by The State of Pennsylvania on April 22, 1890 this is the only Mutual savings bank in the County and is one of seven in the state. It is owned and operated for the benefit ...

Old Bethel Methodist Church

(Front text)

This church, built in 1797 in the meeting-house form, was dedicated in 1798 and completed

in 1809. It is the oldest Methodist church standing in Charleston. Originally at the corner of Pitt and Calhoun

Streets, Bethel Methodist Church ...