Civil War Trails Circuit Walk Introduced in Lovettsville
You may have noticed something new about town since early July, beyond the road work and re-routing detours. On July 7, 2025 a project long in the works by the Lovettsville Historical Society working with the Town of Lovettsville was completed—the installation of three brand new Civil War Trails signs within the town limits. Together, the new signs create a three-point walking tour of Lovettsville’s National Register Historic District through the eyes of our local experience in the Civil War.
Laid out chronologically, there is new sign on the Squirkle examining 1861-62 in Lovettsville. The German Settlement leaned Unionist, and in a Confederate state, this was certainly problematic for the residents. The now easily-accessible sign has a good eastward-facing view of the town, and sits close to the Veterans’ Memorial. A second newly re-written and designed sign examines 1862-63 when the enormous Union Army of the Potomac marched through town several times. This sign sits at the town’s original main intersection at East Broad Way and Loudoun Street. The viewscape better focusses on the view of that time a century-and-a-half ago.
A third sign sits in the northeast corner of the Town Office parking lot and gives us a glimpse of the winter of 1865 when Lovettsville was occupied by a brigade of Union cavalry for two months. Just behind the Town Office is a remnant of the old Presbyterian Church—its graveyard—and that church was turned into an army hospital during the winter encampment.
The chronological walk between the signs is just over a half-mile long, strolling through the historic buildings of Lovettsville while passing temptations to stop for coffee, a drink, ice cream, or a meal. The historical walk makes a perfect post-dinner stroll to work off the repast.
Civil War Trails is a network of over 1500 marked sites in seven states that highlights lesser-known but locally significant aspect of America’s greatest conflict. This signage program introduces communities and their visitors to their local history in an engaging format.
As part of this program, Rich Gillespie of the Lovettsville Historical Society, chief writer of the sign texts, has created a walking tour brochure in conjunction with the Town and Civil War Trails which can be downloaded and printed using the link below. It will also be available at the Lovettsville Museum on East Pennsylvania Avenue.
The Lovettsville Historical Society will be introducing this new trail and its stories at its September Second Sunday lecture on September 14th, 2:00 p.m. at St. James church at 10 East Broad Way in Lovettsville. A dedication ceremony traditional to Civil War Trails will be held at the Town Office parking lot with Town and Lovettsville Historical Society officials participating following the lecture.
You can read the content of the brochure below or download a printable version using the link above.
