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National Historic Trails (Non-Units) - Star-Spangled Banner
Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia)
11/8/2008 Walked back to the car and drove a short way to the Octagon House [NHL, and on the new Star-Spangled Banner
NHT in DC], an old unique structure (and temporary home of President Madison) with eight sides ...
The House sign
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Nice 3/4 view ...
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... and the front
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Looks skinny from the side
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9/20/2014 ... then continued up to Elk Landing in Elkton, on the Star-Spangled Banner NHT and the
Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R). During America’s late Colonial and early Federal periods, roughly 1770
to 1820, Elk Landing was the mid Atlantic’s northernmost navigable inland waterway and the preferred route of north and
south travel for many well-known patriots. In addition the site served as a shipping and supply port for America’s
Continental Army. We walked around the grounds, which includes two stabilized and partially restored homes.
The site sign ...
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... and historical info
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One of the houses ...
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... and garden
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The other house, in need of restoration
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4/13/2015 Continued into MD to Riverdale and the Riversdale Mansion NHL. This is a five-part,
large-scale late Georgian mansion with Federal interior, built between 1801 and 1807. Walked around the grounds a little
on a beautiful spring day. The site is also on the Star Spangled Banner National Historic Trail [MD]. Continued south into
DC to the Congressional Cemetery NHL, the only American "cemetery of national memory" founded before the Civil War
[and on the SSB NHT in DC]. Also enjoyed strolling around here with the apple blossoms in full bloom. I found the graves
of John Philip Sousa and J Edgar Hoover, and noted the even arrays of congressional representatives, famous and not.
The Mansion ...
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... with interpretive sign
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Closeup of the sign
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The Trail blaze
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Nice spring day ...
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... in Congressional Cemetery
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Sousa grave
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Hoover grave ...
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... with me
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Hoover stone ...
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... and FBI icon
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10/19/2016 Baltimore NHA
11/14/2016 ... I hit some Star-Spangled Banner NHT [MD] sites in Bladensburg. Stopped at Bladensburg Waterfront Park
on the Anacostia River to check out the VC but the hours changed and it wasn't open, so just read the various interpretive signs around
the outside. Headed NE to photo two homes. The Market Masters House is 1765 stone dwelling with 20th-century additions constructed when
Bladensburg was an active tobacco shipping port. The Hilleary-Magruder House was built in 1742 and was one of many houses where wounded
British and American soldiers were treated. Back along Bladensburg Road ... to Fort Lincoln Cemetery. In there I
checked out the remains of Fort Lincoln - a Civil War earthwork constructed in 1861 for the defense of Washington. Nearby on the corner
of the cemetery, across the side street from IHOP, I found the signs for the Old Dueling Grounds. This was a secluded location outside
of Washington where more than 26 recorded and 50 reported duels were fought.
Market Masters House far ...
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... close, ...
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... and sign
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Hilleary-Magruder House
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Sign 1
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Sign 2 ...
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... with trail logo
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Fort Lincoln earthworks
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Cannon detail
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Famous Lincoln statue
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The Dueling Grounds
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MD signage ...
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... and NPS signage
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Bladensburg in the day
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11/15/2016 ... stopped on the way for an SSB NHT [MD] site in Bladensburg – George Washington House a.k.a. Indian Queen
Tavern, which represents the last remnant of a social and commercial complex established in the 1760s by Jacob Wirt.
George Washington House
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MD signage
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NPS signage
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11/17/2016 ... then went to the Bladensburg Waterfront Park that was closed Monday. This site is also in the
Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network. The river area was very pleasant on a super nice day. I had to call for someone to
open the VC museum just for me, but they did so quickly. There were some very nice displays on the history of the War of 1812 and
particularly the Battle of Bladensburg, and I got some good info on the SSB NHT [MD] before heading back to work.
Waterfront Park
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In the Chesapeake Network
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Another view of the Anacostia
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The VC ...
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... and sign
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Nice little cannon
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One of the VC displays
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4/20/2017 ... then drove into Alexandria to the George Washington Masonic Temple National Memorial NHL
[on the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail in VA]. The 333-foot Masonic building is fashioned after the ancient Lighthouse
of Alexandria, dedicated in 1932 to the memory of the first President of the U.S. Took a very nice one hour tour, visiting
different museum rooms on GW and the Freemasons, concluding outside at the top of the tower with great views on a gorgeous afternoon.
View from the road ...
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... and a little closer
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The NHL plaque
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The main hall with GW
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Freemason meeting hall
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GW's Freemason ceremony
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GW in the museum
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Knight Templar
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View of DC from the top
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The display out front
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9/18/2017 ... drove down to Alexandria. McDs lunch, then parked in a garage in Old Town. Spent over an
hour walking around the quaint part of town with brick streets and sidewalks on an overcast and muggy day. The goal was a bunch
of local NHLs: Gadsby's Tavern Built around 1785, the tavern was a central part of the social, economic, political, and educational
life of the city of Alexandria, with guests including 5 Presidents and the Marquis de La Fayette. [on the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail in VA]
The sign for ...
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... the Tavern
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NHL plaque
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I didn't ...
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9/25/2021
Mason Neck State Park Continuing more north in typical DC traffic
I stopped at Congressional Cemetery. Although I had been here before as an NHL, this stop was to see the grave of Signer Elbridge Gerry, which I quickly
found. [The Cemetery is on the Star-Spangled Banner NHT in DC]
Carved logo
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NHL plaque (almost)
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A nice view of the cemetery
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The Gerry monument
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A closer look ...
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... and a marker
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Some Gerry info
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10/16/2022 Octagon House NHL. Designed in 1798 by the architect of the U.S. Capitol for Colonel John Tayloe. After the
British destroyed the White House during the War of 1812, the house served as the temporary residence of James Madison, President of the United
States, for a period of six months. Also on the Star-Spangled Banner (SSB) NHT. This was a revisit for us, but we took some photos, the building
being minus a large banner that was there in 2008 ... Decatur House NHL. A Federal Style house designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe for naval hero
Stephen Decatur. During 1827-1833 was home to successive Secretaries of State Henry Clay, Martin Van Buren, and Judah P. Benjamin. Also on the SSB NHT.
A cool 360 of ...
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Octagon House
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Ken photoing ...
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... the NHL plaque
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Ken reading ...
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Interpretive info ...
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... including the SSB NHT
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Decatur House
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10/13/2024 Tudor Place NHL. This is a Federal-style mansion that was originally the home of Thomas Peter and his wife,
Martha Parke Custis Peter, a granddaughter of Martha Washington. This place is also on the Star-Spangled Banner NHT, having been used as a
refuge by Dr. William Thornton, designer of the U.S. Capitol and Tudor Place, during the 1814 burning of Washington.
Outside, signage about ...
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... the NHT, ...
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... and Ken photos ...
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... the NHL plaque
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The back of the mansion ...
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... and the front
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A view straight on
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A little more front detail ...
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... and with Ken and me
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