Affiliated Area: David Berger National Memorial, Ohio

Welcome back to our National Parks guide.  This week we are taking a short detour from the official NPS units to give everyone a post about Affiliated Sites.

In addition to the 417 National Park Service Units, there are also several Affiliated Areas.  These sites operate in connection with the National Park Service but are independent entities.  We will also be including these in our blog going forward, starting with the David Berger National Memorial.

Memorial Plaque

BACKGROUND:

               Originally from Shaker Heights, Ohio, David Berger was a young athlete who wished to someday compete in the Olympics as a weightlifter, jumping at the chance to join the Israeli team for the 1972 Olympic games in Munich.  Tragically David Berger would become one of the eleven Israeli athletes who were murdered by terrorists at that year’s Olympics.  Following his death, local leaders of the Cleveland area’s Jewish community financed the building of a memorial to David Berger and his teammates.

THE MEMORIAL:

               The David Berger National Memorial is a metal sculpture that resides on the grounds of the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.  The memorial is a metal sculpture made up of eleven columns for its base, and topped with a series of broken rings.  The rings represent the interrupted Olympic games, while the eleven columns stand for David Berger and each of his teammates.

A side view of the sculpture's broken rings

TRAVEL TIPS:

               The David Berger National Memorial is easily accessible as it lies in the open on the community center’s grounds.  There is no fee to see the memorial nor is there a visitor center.  The memorial does participate in the passport stamp program.  To get the stamp you will only need to go inside the community center and inquire at the front desk.

A distant view of the Memorial on the community center grounds

This is our last blog post on a site in the Cleveland area.  From here on we will be moving out across the country further and further from home.  We will continue to intersperse Affiliated Areas in between posts on official NPS units going forward.  Our next blog post will be a special one we've moved up to next week, our first journey to the District of Columbia and the National World War Two Memorial.

4. Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial, Indiana

Hello and welcome back to the latest entry in our blog!  For this post, we will be traveling to southern Indiana to another Presidential site and our first NPS unit dedicated to Abraham Lincoln.

 

Entrance Sign



BACKGROUND:

               In 1816, a man named Thomas Lincoln purchased a track of land in southern Indiana, not far from the Ohio river and moved there with his family from neighboring Kentucky.  His son, a seven-year-old boy named Abraham, would one day go on to save the Union.  At that time though, the Lincolns were simple frontier farmers trying their best to make a living.  For the next fourteen years, Abraham Lincoln would grow up at the homestead in Indiana, enduring frontier hardships and the tragic deaths of his mother and sister, which would shape him into the man of greatness he would later become.

               In the 1930s, a century after the Lincoln family had left the area, and as the memories of Lincoln’s deeds and the Civil War passed into history, the State of Indiana wished to commemorate their association with the great President.  Construction of a memorial began, completed during World War Two, which served to mark Lincoln’s time in Indiana as well as commemorate the gravesite of Lincoln’s mother.  In 1962, the State of Indiana donated the land on which the memorial stood to the federal government, thus creating the first National Park Service unit in Indiana.

THE MEMORIAL:

 

Exterior of the memorial visitor center with bas relief carvings

               Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is located in the small hamlet of Lincoln City, Spencer county Indiana, about an hour and a half drive west from Louisville, Kentucky.  The physical memorial itself is in fact the exterior facing of the visitor center.  The façade of the visitor center is a semi-circular wall, lined with five bas relief carvings of Lincoln throughout his life.  A panel is dedicated to Lincoln’s time living in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Washington D.C., with the final center panel titled with Edwin Stanton’s words upon Lincoln’s death, “He belongs to the ages,” symbolizing his passing into legend.  The interior of the visitor center has exhibits on frontier life in the area, and a short film.  On either end of the visitor center are two wings, each containing a meeting hall.  One, designed to imitate a frontier church, is dedicated to Lincoln.  The other, filled with symbols of quaint 19^th century frontier home life, dedicated to his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln.



Interior of the Lincoln Hall

               Outside and opposite the visitor center is a rectangular lawn, or Allee, rising uphill toward a flagpole.  Just beyond the flagpole is a small cemetery dating to the early 1800s.  Among the graves atop the hill is that of Nancy Hanks Lincoln, who died in 1818 when Lincoln was only nine, of milk sickness, a disease brought on by drinking milk from a cow that had ingested poisonous plants.  Although the exact location of her grave is unknown, a headstone is placed within the cemetery to mark the area as her resting place.

Gravestone of Nancy Hanks Lincoln

               Beyond the cemetery, a trail will take you to the site of the Lincolns' cabin.  The foundation of the original log cabin was discovered by archaeologists and later a bronze outline was cast to preserve its location.  Further down the trail is a replica farming community, where living history experts demonstrate how the Lincoln family would have lived on the early 19^th century frontier.  Additional trails cross through the land on the memorial property, including the Trail of Twelve Stones, which winds back from the farm to the visitor center along which twelve stones from significant places or buildings from points in Lincoln’s life have been placed.

 

Bronze outline of the foundation of the Lincoln cabin

TRAVEL TIPS:

               The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial is open year-round except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.  The Living Historical Farm, while open for viewing all year, is only operational from April through September.  In the winter months, the farm is staffed, as a Park Ranger on site put it, “By a rooster and six hens.”  The short film at the visitor center is recommended before touring the site, and the wing meetings halls are worth a peek.  The Lincoln hall in particular is favorite local venue for weddings.

Living Historical Farm

While the facilities at the visitor center are handicap accessible, the trails and paths to the gravesite and farm are fairly rugged.  In addition, two railroad tracks cross the boundaries of the memorial and two of the trails, so all visitors are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings.

               We hope you enjoyed this latest installment in our guide to the National Parks.  In two weeks’ time, we will be adding a special post covering the first of several Affiliated Sites.  Afterwards we will be updating the blog monthly instead of bi-weekly.  Safe Travels!

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:



Allee leading to the cemetery on the hill

The Trail of Twelve Stones

The winter "staff" at the Living Historical Farm

3. Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Maryland

Welcome back to our blog!  For this week’s entry, we’ll be discussing the birthplace of our National Anthem, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine.

Entrance Sign (apologies for the poor quality photo)

BACKGROUND:

               In September 1814, the city of Baltimore came under assault by British forces who were continuing their campaign in the Chesapeake Bay after burning the capital of Washington D.C. in an effort to bring the War of 1812 to a close on terms favorable to Britain.  Baltimore, a major seaport and haven for privateers (government sanctioned pirates), was deemed a vital target.  The British landed their ground forces near the entrance to the harbor and proceeded to march overland to attack the city from the east.  American fortifications however were too formidable for the British to make a direct assault without fire support from their fleet.  In order for the ships of the Royal Navy to get close enough to provide cover for the troops on land they would need to enter into Baltimore’s inner harbor, the mouth of which was protected by Fort McHenry.  If Baltimore was to be saved the fort would need to hold and withstand the firepower of the British fleet.

The narrow channel to Baltimore's inner harbor as seen from Fort McHenry (note the reconstructed 1814 battery at the extreme left, and Civil War era cannon in the foreground)

Beginning on September 13^th, the British bombarded the fort with cannon and rockets for over twenty-four hours.  The American defends hunkered down within and fought back as best they could in a driving rainstorm.  As shot and shell rained down on Fort McHenry, an American lawyer named Francis Scott Key, who had been sent under a flag of truce to secure the release of an American prisoner, watched with apprehension from a British vessel to see if the fort’s storm flag would be lowered as a sign of capitulation.

               At dawn on the 14^th, with Fort McHenry still intact and the massive bombardment having shown no effect on the defenders, the British decided to withdraw rather than continue the futile assault.  Upon seeing the British fleet begin to set sail and depart, Fort McHenry’s commanding officer ordered that a massive flag be hoisted to taunt to retreating British.  Francis Scott Key, still offshore, was so moved by the sight of the flag waving above the fort he immediately set pen to paper jotting down a poem.  Within a week, the poem was set to the tune of a drinking song and became a favorite patriotic tune.  Over time its popularity grew, and the song, the Star-Spangled Banner, was adopted as the National Anthem of the United States in 1931.

 

The fort's parapet

               Fort McHenry itself has changed much since the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.  Originally built in 1798, the fort was modernized following the War of 1812, serving as a prison for Confederate POWs during the Civil War.  The fort remained in use with the Army until 1923, being used as a hospital during World War One, and even reactivated as a Coast Guard station during World War Two.  Ownership of Fort McHenry was transferred to the National Parks Service in 1925 and was given the unique designation of ‘National Monument & Historic Shrine’ in 1939.

THE MONUMENT:

               Situated at the end of the Locust Point Peninsula overlooking the narrow entrance to Baltimore Harbor, Fort McHenry and its surrounding grounds have been restored as much as possible to way the fort appeared during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814.  Just past the gate is the Visitor Center, which includes exhibits and a short film on the Battle of Baltimore and the Star-Spangled Banner. Due to the extensive modernization that occurred after 1814 the cannons present at the fort today date from the Civil War, although a War of 1812 era battery has been reconstructed.  Within the fort are the enlisted men’s barracks, officers’ quarters, and magazines, which are open to the public and have interpretive signs and exhibits within.

 

The fort's Parade Ground, barracks (buildings at rear), and powder magazine (curved roofed structure at right)

TRAVEL TIPS:

               Visitors should map out their path to Fort McHenry prior to visiting as the roads of the Locust Point area can be potentially confusing to navigate for drivers.  There is also a water taxi available from downtown Baltimore.  It is recommended that visitors come early in the day to avoid crowds and hot weather in the summer months.  If you arrive early enough you may get to participate in the morning flag raising, where a replica of the storm flag which flew during the battle or the Star-Spangled Banner is hoisted up the flag pole.  The short film in the Visitor Center is also highly recommended, and gives a stirring recreation of the events surrounding the battle and penning of the National Anthem.  Reenactor events are held somewhat frequently, especially in September when the city holds celebrations of the anniversary of the battle.  If you are collecting passport stamps, you will find them at the front desk in the Visitor Center.  Please note, if you have children, while it may be tempting to allow them to run around or crew the guns to fight off imaginary enemies, please remember that this, like other battlefields, is considered a hallowed site, so please remember to be respectful.  In addition, some areas of the fort, particularly the high drops from the walls, could be dangerous for young children.

 

Morning flag raising ceremony

               If you are interested in seeing the original fifteen star and fifteen stripe Star-Spangled Banner, you will need to travel to nearby Washington D.C.  The flag is located in the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, in a special exhibit to minimize further damage to the flag and help with its preservation.  As such, photography of the flag is now prohibited.

               We hope you enjoyed this brief summary of Fort McHenry National Monument & Historic Shrine!  For our next post we will be returning to the Midwest for the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial.

Additional Photos:

The fort viewed from the visitor center

The replica storm flag

Baltimore's outer harbor as seen from the fort 

The fort's Civil War era batteries