Black Rock Hotel

At the top of a small side trail off the Appalachian Trail in the state of Maryland sits the Pogo Campsite.  This primitive camp site seems rather unimposing and quiet.  The beauty of the area is fantastic and the Black Rock and Annapolis Overlooks are only a short walk away on the trail.  But this area is bursting with historical significance.  The Black Rock Hotel once stood at the site of the Pogo Campground.
​ 
Thurston Griggs Trail
The name of the trail that winds up the side of the mountain to intersect with the Appalachian Trail is named the Thurston Griggs Trail.   This trail was once named the Bagtown Road and it took visitors up to the Black Rock Hotel.  Over the years, the trail was adjusted and moved to preserve the land and now bears no resemblance to what we could consider to be a road.    In the 1980's there was a thrust by various people to work to preserve our trails.  Many people fought for the conservation and protection of the trails.  Thurston Griggs was one of these crusaders for the trails.  During his retirement years, he spent much time working to preserve the Appalachian Trail and other trails in the Mid-Atlantic area.   Bagtown road was one of the trails that Thurston worked to preserve.  When Thurston Griggs was 86 years old, they renamed this trail to honor his work.   Thus, we now have The Thurston Griggs Trail.   Thurston Griggs was active in the trail community until shortly before his death at at 95  in 2011.

Pogo Campsite
The Pogo Campsite sites at the top of the Thurston Griggs trail.   A small spring near the top of the Thurston Griggs tail makes this campsite a desirable stop for hikers.    The campsite is a primitive style campsite with a an older privy and multiple fire circles scattered around the area.   A new privy is being built. 

The Pogo campsite is built near /on the site of the old Black Rock Hotel.  The campsite was named after a young man who passed away in 1974.  Walter "Pogo" Rheinheimer grew up on the Appalachian Trail.  His parents were active members of the PATC (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club).   In 1974, as a young adult, Pogo cheated death.  He and a friend set out for a cross country adventure on their bikes, attempting to travel from coast to coast.  On the first day they were sideswiped and suffered serious injuries.  Once healed, Pogo accepted an invitation to go canoeing on the nearby Potomac River.   This time his luck was not with him.  He passed away.  His parents wanted to memorialize their son and approached the PATC.  The Black Rock Hotel Campsite was renamed the Pogo Campsite.
​

The Black Rock Hotel
The Black Rock Hotel, also known as the Black Rock House was originally built in the 1870's.    Even though the hotel was not easily accessible, it  quickly became a popular destination for people that wanted to escape the heat of the city.    Sadly, the hotel burned down in 1880.  Within in a short period of time, the owner lost his wife and child to illness.  Depressed and disheartened, he moved to New York where he experienced great financial prosperity.  The fresh mountain air near Black Rock kept calling his name and in 1907 he rebuilt the Black Rock Hotel. 

The newly rebuilt never regained it's former popularity.  The accessibility of the hotel came into play as more and more people chose to visit the nearby Pen Mar park, travelling by train to access the mountain top resort.  
The memories that are recounted about the Black Rock Hotel are pleasant.  Memories include sitting on the porch and looking at the town far below,  visiting during the Fourth of July and reading the Declaration of Independence and drinking liquor distilled from Washington County Rye.

The second Black Rock Hotel burned in 1920.    The walls stood high up in the mountains for many years.   It became a popular spot for people to visit and explore.  As late as the 1960's and 1970's people recount experiences at the Black Rock Hotel and talk about the walls still standing.   But by the turn of the new century, the walls had been reduced to rubble and the foundation overtaken by nature. 

I would have loved to live in that time frame to travel up the Bagtown Road to visit the Black Rock Hotel/Black Rock House.  The resort high in the mountains would have been the perfect retreat from daily life.  But that era is over.  Instead, I will enjoy my hikes up the Thurston Griggs trail and my walks through the Pogo Campsite.  

​

Photo Credits: http://fess2.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-search-for-black-rock-hotel.html and https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/lifestyle/wolfsville-serenity-in-the-hills/article_93620fce-04f0-5404-87ea-8364c92cb874.html