FriendsofPointLookoutisa501(c)3volunteerorganizationestablishedin1985.It’sfocusison preservingandpresentingthissiteinit’soriginalhistoricalcontext.Throughlivinghistoriesand presentationsthroughouttheyear,it’smaintainsthegroundsofoneoftheonlyremainingearthen-walled Civil War fortifications remaining in Maryland. PointLookoutsponsorshistoricprogramsanddemonstrationsthroughouttheyear.Contactthepark 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.net3448 Brookside DrChesapeake Beach, MD 20732FEIN: 52-1841294The Reconstruction and Preservation of Civil War Point Lookout(Parts of this article are excerpted from the forthcoming book, “If It Were Not for Hope...The Civil War Prison Camp at Point Lookout, Maryland,” (unedited) by Robert E. Crickenberger).Thelastofficialownerofthe400acresofthePointLookoutpeninsula,thePointLookoutGrandHotel Company,wouldsellamajorityofwhatitownedatPointLookout,totheStateofMarylandin1965. TheStateofMarylandpurchasedthepropertywiththeintentofcreatinganewrecreationalstate parkinsouthernMaryland.TheHotelCompanyretainedseventeenacresforitshotelandresorton theChesapeakeBaysideofthePoint.Thepurchasedidnotincludetheacreortwoonthesouthern 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.Whileonavisittotheparkin1977,thepark managergavethisauthoranextensivetourofthe twomajorhistoricalsitesthatincludedtheheavilyovergrownearthenfortandtheprisonsite. Asthe MasterPlandidnotincludethefortsiteinitsdescriptionofthepark,Iaskedthemanagerifthere wereanyplansbytheparkserviceatthattimetorestorethefort ortoidentifytheprisonsite.Hestatedthatinaccordancewiththe MasterPlan,therewerestillnoplansoutlinedorbudgetprovided, tointerpretorpreserveanyofthehistoricalsiteswithinthepark property.However,hedidexplainthatifthesitesweretobe preserved,itwouldhavetobeaccomplished,bydonated, volunteerlabor.Acceptinghisimpliedinvitation,Ibeganasan officialvolunteerfortheMarylandParkServiceduringtheearly months of 1978.SincethetimeofitsacquisitionbytheStateofMaryland,efforts, andactivitiesbyvariousvolunteergroupssuchastheYouth ConservationCorps,areaBoyScouttroops,FrederickCommunity CollegeVocationalSchool,theFriendsofPointLookout,andthe staffofPointLookoutStatePark,haveperformedextensive preservationandreconstructionprojectsonthesetwosignificant sites.Thisefforthasalsoincludedtheinterpretationofwhat remainsoftheprisonsite,alsoknownasCampHoffman,during the war.Theirvolunteereffortshadtheir desiredeffectontheMarylandPark Serviceandthevisitingpublic.A renewedMasterPlanfortheLand UnitatPointLookoutwaspublished bytheparkservicein1996.Inthe narrative,theeffortsofthese volunteergroupswasrecognizedby theparkserviceasavitalresource totheStategovernmentandits citizens.Assoonastheproperty thatcontainedthehistoricearthen forthadbecomepartoftheparktwo yearsaftertheStateacquiredthe property,volunteergroupsbeganto clearthefortofdebrisand overgrowth.Theireffortshave successfullyreturnedRedoubtNo.3 anditsreconstructedbuildingstotheirwar-timeappearancesutilizingtheplansdrawnbytheU.S ArmyCorpsofEngineersduringtheCivilWar.Historiclivinghistoryprogramscontinuetobe performedbyvolunteersbringingattentiontothehistoricsite.Theparkservicehassincefoundthat boththeprisonsiteandtheforttobeintegralpartsofthehistoryofSt.Mary’sCountyandtheState of Maryland. In2022,theFriendsofPointLookouthadprovidedfundingforthecreationand installationofeightnewinterpretivesignsthroughouttheparkinvolvingthe interpretationofPointLookoutduringtheCivilWar,themodern-dayhotel,and asignificantmomentinBlackHistory.Duringtherecentyearsof2023and 2024,theFriendsofPointLookout,inpartnershipwiththeMarylandPark Service,withagrantprovidedbytheMarylandHistoricalTrust,havebegunto replacetheconstructedsouthwestcorneroftheprisonstockade.Thisrecent workincludesthecreationandinstallationoftennewadditionalCivilWar interpretivesignsandoneenvironmentalsignwithintheparkboundaries.The FriendsofPointLookoutcontinuetodayprovidinglivinghistoryprograms providingsupportandmaintenanceofthehistoricsitesandstructuresofPoint Lookout.