Endangered Maryland

At Fox’s Gap, west of Middletown, blue and grey mixed in chaotic furor in the historic Battle of South Mountain, as the Union’s Major General George McClellan drove General Robert E. Lee’s Confederates from the mountain passes to Frederick. Despite McClellan’s  dramatic pursuit, Lee united his troops at Sharpsburg, and the Battle of Antietam began two days later, says Elizabeth Bauer, a Civil War Living Historian.

Today, says Bauer, this whole area is threatened by proposed construction of a $55-million gas compression station by Dominion Transmission Inc. of Virginia (DTI), the gas transmission subsidiary of Dominion, which owns 135 acres of land below Fox’s Gap.

Bauer was part of a group that nominated Fox’s Tavern—a well-preserved 18th-century stone farmhouse that sits in this acreage, on the original “traders’ pass” over the ridge and into West Virginia—for inclusion on this year’s Endangered Maryland list.

In 1785, George Washington purportedly drank water at this tavern, says Bauer, a founding member of the Citizens for the Preservation of Middletown Valley (CPMV), founded in 2007 when DTI announced its project. Says Bauer, who lives within earshot of the tavern, “CPMV believes in the need for energy infrastructure. However, industrial facilities should be built on industrial-zoned land. It is the choice to build upon this hallowed ground that concerns the community. “We want people to know that to build a compressor station on this site is to ignore the historical significance and disrespect those who so selflessly gave their lives.

This land is also one of the larger and more important agricultural areas in western Frederick County.” She adds, “Think of hikers looking down from Appalachian Trail and seeing smokestacks and smelling fumes rather than reflecting upon the sacrifices of the soldiers during the Battle of South Mountain and enjoying the pleasant view of the Middletown Valley.”

In 2009, the Civil War Preservation Trust unveiled its report, “History Under Siege: A Guide to America’s Most Endangered Civil War Battlefields,” and identified South Mountain Battlefield as one of the 10 most-endangered battlefields in the country. Included in this land is the property now owned by DTI.

Carolyn Moss, managing director of state government affairs for Dominion Resources Services, says, “Dominion recognizes and appreciates the historical significance of Fox’s Tavern and is committed to its preservation and enhancement as a historical and community resource. The tavern currently has a Dominion employee as a tenant, who oversees the security, care, and upkeep of the building. In the past, we have rescued other threatened properties that had historical importance and ensured that they were placed in caring and capable hands.”  Adds Moss, “At this point, Dominion has no plans for the remainder of the property, where the tavern is located. At the appropriate time, Dominion will have discussions with historical and preservation groups and determine which organization to partner with to ensure the perpetual care and preservation of the tavern.”

For more current information, visit www.cpmv.org.