Friends of Point Lookout is a 501(c)3 volunteer organization established in 1985. It’s focus is on preserving and presenting this site in it’s original historical context. Through living histories and presentations throughout the year, it’s maintains the grounds of one of the only remaining earthen- walled Civil War fortifications remaining in Maryland. Point Lookout sponsors historic programs and demonstrations throughout the year. Contact the park for a current schedule of historic programs. Popular annual festivities include: April-- Park Days -- Join the Friends of Point Lookout as they work to maintain one of the only remaining earthen-walled Civil War fortifications remaining in Maryland. June-- Blue and Gray Days -- Featuring artillery and infantry demonstrations, dress parade and evening programs in Civil War Fort #3. September-- Artillery Weekend -- Living history volunteers show the different styles of artillery that were used during the Civil War. October-- Invasion of Point Lookout -- Living history volunteers will shed light on Point Lookout’s importance during the War of 1812. Artillery and infantry demonstrations will take place throughout the event. Those who would like to donate or join Friends of Point Lookout can Contact Bob Crickenberger at: Crickenberger@comcast.net 3448 Brookside Dr Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732 FEIN: 52-1841294 The Reconstruction and Preservation of Civil War Point Lookout (Parts of this article are excerpted from the forthcoming book, Point Lookout, Maryland: The Largest Civil War Prison by Robert E. Crickenberger and published by Savas Beatie. The last official owner of the 400 acres of the Point Lookout peninsula, the Point Lookout Grand Hotel Company, would sell a majority of what it owned at Point Lookout, to the State of Maryland in 1965. The State of Maryland purchased the property with the intent of creating a new recreational state park in southern Maryland. The Hotel Company retained seventeen acres for its hotel and resort on the Chesapeake Bay side of the Point. The purchase did not include the acre or two on the southern tip of Point Lookout where the lighthouse and the Naval Station were located at the time of the deal. The   new   stewards   of   this   property,   the   Maryland Park   Service,   initiated   a   Master   Plan   in   1966 outlining     a     massive     project     to     create     an environmentally   friendly   park   that   would   include public   picnic   areas,   a   boat   launch,   playgrounds, and   public   campground.   It   also   included   the   use of   the   acres   of   beaches   afforded   by   both   the Chesapeake       Bay       and       Potomac       River shorelines;     much     like     the     first     recreation- seeking   vacationers   had   for   generations.   It   was noted    that    the    newly    acquired    ground    also included    an    area    that    was    once    used    as    a prison     for     Confederate     prisoners     of     war captured   during   the   Civil   War.   The   plan   stated that    there    would    be    no    need    to    preserve    or interpret    the    site    as    there    was    a    National Cemetery       maintained       by       the       federal government   outside   the   immediate   borders   of the   park.   Therefore,   no   plans   were   made   by state   park   officials   to   conduct   any   preservation projects.   There   was   no   mention   of   the   earthen fort   located   on   the   Potomac   River   shoreline   as the    state    did    not    receive    possession    of    this designated acre and a half, until 1967. While on a visit to the park in 1977, the park manager gave this author an extensive tour of the two major historical sites that included the heavily overgrown earthen fort and the prison site. As the Master Plan did not include the fort site in its description of the park, I asked the manager if there were any plans by the park service at that time to restore the fort or to identify the prison site. He stated that in accordance with the Master Plan, there were still no plans outlined or budget provided, to interpret or preserve any of the historical sites within the park property. However, he did explain that if the sites were to be preserved, it would have to be accomplished, by donated, volunteer labor. Accepting his implied invitation, I began as an official volunteer for the Maryland Park Service during the early months of 1978. Since the time of its acquisition by the State of Maryland, efforts, and activities by various volunteer groups such as the Youth Conservation Corps, area Boy Scout troops, Frederick Community College Vocational School, the Friends of Point Lookout, and the staff of Point Lookout State Park, have performed extensive preservation and reconstruction projects on these two significant sites. This effort has also included the interpretation of what remains of the prison site, also known as Camp Hoffman, during the war. Their volunteer efforts had their desired effect on the Maryland Park Service and the visiting public. A renewed Master Plan for the Land Unit at Point Lookout was published by the park service in 1996. In the narrative, the efforts of these volunteer groups was recognized by the park service as a vital resource to the State government and its citizens. As soon as the property that contained the historic earthen fort had become part of the park two years after the State acquired the property, volunteer groups began to clear the fort of debris and overgrowth. Their efforts have successfully returned Redoubt No.3 and its reconstructed buildings to their war-time appearances utilizing the plans drawn by the U.S Army Corps of Engineers during the Civil War. Historic living history programs continue to be performed by volunteers bringing attention to the historic site. The park service has since found that both the prison site and the fort to be integral parts of the history of St. Mary’s County and the State of Maryland. In 2022, the Friends of Point Lookout had provided funding for the creation and installation of eight new interpretive signs throughout the park involving the interpretation of Point Lookout during the Civil War, the modern-day hotel, and a significant moment in Black History. During the recent years of 2023 and 2024, the Friends of Point Lookout, in partnership with the Maryland Park Service, with a grant provided by the Maryland Historical Trust, have begun to replace the constructed southwest corner of the prison stockade. This recent work includes the creation and installation of ten new additional Civil War interpretive signs and one environmental sign within the park boundaries. The Friends of Point Lookout continue today providing living history programs providing support and maintenance of the historic sites and structures of Point Lookout.

Friends of Point Lookout, Inc.

Point Lookout, Maryland: The Largest Civil War Prison By Robert E. Crickenberger A Groundbreaking Book That Rewrites the Legacy of the Union’s Most Infamous POW Camp July 1863 – August 1865