Historic Resource Study of the Blackford House, Ferry Hill, and Bridgeport Community African American History

The National Park Service intends to award a single source justified cooperative agreement to Shepherd University for a Historic Resource Study of the Blackford House, Ferry Hill, and Bridgeport Community focused on African American History. The study will provide a comprehensive approach to the history of enslaved and free African American workers in the Maryland community and their role in the local economy and community. The project will result in a written report, including an introduction, background, research themes, recommendations for future research, bibliography, and appendices. The recipient will work closely with the National Park Service and recruit and hire undergraduate or graduate students to assist in the completion of the project. • The project will explore the history of the African American experience at Lock 38 and Ferry Hill, including possible connections to the Underground Railroad. • The study will situate slave activities at the property within the social and economic context of slavery in western Maryland's regional economy. • The recipient will provide four printed copies and a disk of the PDF and MS Word files of the Historic Resource Study to the National Park Service.