Patapsco Valley Heritage Area

06/09/2026

This past week (June 1-June 5) kicked off a joint effort between Patapsco Heritage Greenway and the University of Maryland. Under the direction of Dr. Kyla Cools, three students (and many more volunteers) will learn archaeological field methods over the next few weeks at Hockley House, an 18th century structure associated with the former Hockley iron forge complex on the Patapsco River.

Hockley has seen various uses throughout its lifetime, being built around 1763-64 to expand the Baltimore Company’s activities along the Patapsco River. After forge activities ceased at the turn of the century, the property transitioned through a variety of phases, from nail-making and milling to manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th century. Hockley was acquired by the State of Maryland in the 1960s, and has been under state ownership since. Though a variety of structures once occupied the site, only the old forge master’s home still stands.

This week, the team began with establishing a grid to denote our boundaries for walk-over survey and shovel test pits, which are small-scale excavations that help us gain familiarity with soil deposition in the area, and identify areas with high potential for recovering material culture. This involved measuring out our grid points and then capturing precise coordinates using a total station, an electronic geospatial survey instrument. While we aim to cover broader areas than the immediate vicinity of the forge master’s dwelling, we are beginning with the west side of the structure. Previous research has identified the northwest end of the forge master’s dwelling would have been where a bake-oven was located during Hockley’s early occupation in the 18th century, so we hope to find evidence of that through our initial shovel test pits.

Click the link below to read the full blog post and meet the team!

Post By: Vito Russo This past week (06/01/26) kicked off a joint effort between Patapsco Heritage Greenway and the University of Maryland. Under the direction of Dr. Kyla Cools, three…

06/04/2026

Last chance to sign-up for the guided hikes, workshops, and educational walks happening this Saturday, June 6 at the McKeldin Area of Patapsco Valley State Park!

Celebrate National Trails Day with Patapsco Heritage Greenway and Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park at Beyond the Trail, part of the Explore Patapsco 2026 Recreation and Stewardship series.

Event Schedule

10 am-12 pm: Beginner/Intermediate Birding Hike
with Baltimore Bird Club & Howard County Bird Club

11am-12pm: Native Foraging and Species Identification Walk
with Patapsco Heritage Greenway

11am-12pm: Nature Worx Mindfulness Workshop

12pm-2pm: Beginner/Intermediate Birding Hike
with Baltimore Bird Club

1pm-2pm: Native Foraging and Species Identification Walk
with Patapsco Heritage Greenway

All participants will receive an Explore Patapsco water bottle and a Patapsco hiking-themed vinyl sticker! Snacks will be provided and the Patapsco Valley State Park Mobile Visitor Center will be available to visit throughout the day.

This event is free, but does not include the park entry fee ($3 per person for MD residents and $5 per person for out-of-state license plates)

Sign-up at https://ow.ly/J4mM50Z7FS2

06/01/2026

Spend time in the Patapsco Valley this month at guided hikes, history and archaeology talks, stewardship events, and an Open House at Nike Missile Site BA-79.

RSVP at patapsco.org/events

05/29/2026

We're grateful for this incredible partnership with Maiden Choice School! Despite the rainy weather, students, staff, and community partners worked together to plant 15 new trees on the school campus. We’re proud to be part of this opportunity to help build environmental stewardship in the Patapsco Valley.

05/28/2026

Are you curious about the history of Daniels and what it was like to live and work in this Patapsco Valley mill town?

Join us at Historic Gary Memorial United Methodist Church on Monday, June 15 for the Fifth Annual Charles L. Wagandt II Memorial Lecture.

At this event, Lisa Jensen and Michelle Carras will present a talk exploring the rich and layered history of Daniels — once a thriving water-powered cotton mill town whose residents continued to gather for decades after their village fellowship ceased. Now after 145 years, the congregation of the last church is closing its doors atop Standfast Hill. Trace nearly 200 years of industry, transportation, social change, and nature through historic images, maps, and stories of the families who lived and worked in this remarkable Patapsco Valley community.

RSVP at https://ow.ly/e1eG50Z5ftS

05/25/2026

Patapsco Heritage Greenway (PHG) and Howard EcoWorks teamed up for an Industry Exposure Event for young professionals last Monday. As part of this workforce development and training program, the EcoWorks crew learned about PHG's water quality monitoring programs including chemical, biological, and Salt Watch monitoring. Most of the day focused on macroinvertebrate collection and identification, with an emphasis on assigning pollution tolerance values for the collected species.

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05/23/2026

Join Patapsco Heritage Greenway to learn about some of the ways in which archaeologists are able to date artifacts.

Dr. Kyla Cools, Patapsco Heritage Greenway’s Heritage Program Manager, will provide an introduction to the basic frameworks and concepts used to date archaeological sites and materials. This talk will explore how dating methods have been applied at sites ranging from famous case studies to local sites in the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area.

RSVP at https://ow.ly/H5WS50Z3bbO

05/22/2026

We invite you to the Fifth Annual Charles L. Wagandt II Memorial Lecture, commemorating the visionary who sought to create the Patapsco Valley Heritage Area and Patapsco Heritage Greenway.

At this event, Lisa Jensen and Michelle Carras will present a talk exploring the rich and layered history of Daniels — once a thriving water-powered cotton mill town whose residents continued to gather for decades after their village fellowship ceased. Now after 145 years, the congregation of the last church is closing its doors atop Standfast Hill. Trace nearly 200 years of industry, transportation, social change, and Nature through historic images, maps, and stories of the families who lived and worked in this remarkable Patapsco Valley community.

RSVP at https://ow.ly/581U50Z3j9e

05/21/2026

Patapsco Heritage Greenway is excited to offer volunteer opportunities for those interested in learning more about archaeology! From June to August 2026, Patapsco Heritage Greenway will conduct archaeological research in Patapsco Valley State Park with a focus on land use and former structures associated with the Baltimore Company in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Volunteers can sign up for individual days or full weeks. Volunteers under the age of 18 are welcome if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Exceptions to the 1:1 rule can be made for organized entities or other situations if arranged ahead of time with PHG staff.

Contact Heritage Program Manager, Kyla Cools at [email protected], for more information and to sign up.

05/20/2026

As a part of the Explore Patapsco 2026 series, Patapsco Heritage Greenway and Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park are celebrating National Trails Day with a morning of guided hikes, environmental education, and exploration around the McKeldin Area of Patapsco Valley State Park.

Event Program:

10am-12pm: Beginner/Intermediate Birding Hike with Baltimore Bird Club & Howard County Bird Club

11am-12pm: Native Foraging & Species Identification Walk with Patapsco Heritage Greenway

11am-12pm: Nature Worx Mindfulness Workshop

12pm-2pm: Beginner/Intermediate Birding Hike with Baltimore Bird Club

1pm-2pm: Native Foraging & Species Identification Walk with Patapsco Heritage Greenway

Event is free, but does not include the park entry fee ($3 per person for MD residents and $5 per person for out-of-state).

Sign-up for the guided hikes at https://ow.ly/mFyT50Z19Ve

Financial and technical assistance for this project was provided by National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways. Chesapeake Gateways inspires and helps people discover, experience, and connect with the natural and cultural heritage and recreational opportunities of the Chesapeake Bay and the rivers, landscapes, and communities across its watershed.