Places

Before (and after) it was a battlefield, Monocacy Junction was a stop on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and a river crossing on the Georgetown Pike. The transportation features that gathered people into a small community surrounding it, also drew unwanted attention from Union and Confederate armies during the American Civil War.

NPS collection

 

Monocacy National Battlefield comprises 1,647 acres of farmland, forest and riparian areas a few miles south of Frederick, Maryland, in the Monocacy River Valley. The park includes six historic properties: the Baker, Best, Lewis, Thomas, and Worthington farms, as well as the Gambrill Mill and House. In the early 20th Century, Civil War Veterans and the United Daughters of the Confederacy built monuments to commemorate the Battle of Monocacy.

The architectural styles of the structures in the park exhibit the variety of cultural traditions associated with agriculture in Western Maryland. Dwelling houses, forebay barns, the unique stone barn on the Best Farm (L'Hermitage) and the Georgian style of the Thomas Farm (Araby) main house all reflect the mix of Pennsylvania German, French, Caribbean, and Tidewater English influences on the area.

 

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  Wett Work

  Baker Farm

  The Baker Farm is currently only open to virtual visitation.

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  L'Hermitage

  Best Farm

  Named after the family that lived there during the battle, the Best Farm's Caribbean roots are evident in the architecture of its buildings.

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  Araby Mills

  Gambrill Tract

  The water wheel and the third-floor are long gone, but Gambrill Mill still rests on the side of the river.

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  Araby

  Lewis Farm

  Originally part of Araby (the Thomas Farm), the Lewis Farm is currently only open for virtual visitation.

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  Landscape of Memory

  Monuments

  In the early 20th Century, veterans of the Civil War and their families began placing monuments on the battlefield.

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  Araby

  Thomas Farm

  Before there were street addresses, properties were given names. Today's Thomas Farm was the heart of a large tract called Araby.

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  Clifton

  Worthington Farm

  John T. Worthington called his farm Riverside Farm, but previous owners had called it Clifton.