Point Lookout Offers View to Civil War History

‘Artillery Weekend’ Highlights Wartime Roles

History buffs of all ages are invited to the annual Civil War Artillery Weekend event Sept. 28-29 at Point Lookout State Park. Programs run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Point Lookout is a peninsula in St. Mary’s County where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay, and the viewpoint from this strategic location made it a pivotal place during the Civil War. In the early 1860s, the site housed a Union military fort, Hammond General Hospital, and Camp Hoffman, where Confederate prisoners of war were held.

During Artillery Weekend, tours of Fort #3 and the prison pen site will be offered along with living history programs highlighting the military garrison of the fort, plus civilian exhibits and impressions.

Tours and demonstrations are free but park entrance fees apply. All programs occur rain or shine.

The weekend-long event is hosted by Friends of Point Lookout Inc. More information is available by calling the park at 301-872-5688​​, or emailing Bob Crickenberger.