Top : Edward ’ s Ferry Lockhouse ; above : barge on canal .
row boats plied its waters carrying produce , grain , lumber and coal . Lockhouses were built to shelter lock keepers who raised and lowered water in the locks and guided passing boats along .
Small villages often sprang up along the river . At Edward ’ s there was a ferry that ran across the river to Virginia , a general store , a granary , and assorted outbuildings .
Many of the workers who built the canal were English , Welsh , Scots and Irish indentured servants and enslaved men contracted from local landowners . Due to the canal ’ s remoteness and ease of travel along the river and towpath both indentured and enslaved workers used it to relocate .
The Underground Railroad is often associated with the canal and records show that freedom seekers used the waterway and towpath to flee north to Pennsylvania , finding aid and shelter along the way
n WARREN HISTORIC SITE 22625 White ’ s Ferry Road • Dickerson WarrenHistoricSite @ weebly . com ( Please check for hours and programs .)
“ We took care of ourselves and everything we needed came from here . When we went to town to buy flour , or anything we couldn ’ t grow , we did not linger .”
~ former resident
THEME : African American community history .
BACKGROUND : The historic African American community of Martinsburg was founded in 1866 . One of the rare , racially integrated Black settlements in the county , it retains the three anchor buildings of the community — church , school , and benefits society hall .
Unlike nearby Sugarland , the houses here were built somewhat farther apart , but like Sugarland , they were surrounded by garden patches , orchards , and livestock pens . The town of Martinsburg , grew to include two stores , a post office , and over 20 homes .
Over time , the young people of most historic African American communities moved away to better jobs and more modern homes . By the early 1980s , most of these communities had very few residents and nature took back the buildings . In a way , these places were victims of their own success in providing the building blocks on which generations could better their lives in the larger world .
on White ’ s Ferry Road . In 1903 , the congregation had the present church constructed .
SCHOOL : The one-story Martinsburg Negro School was built in 1886 and served 40 to 50 students a year in grades 1 through 7 . The school closed in 1939 .
BENEFIT HALL : The local lodge of the Loving Charity Society ( LCS ) built the community hall here in 1914 to be used for plays , dances , lectures , and events . Sock hops , movies , and dinners were common community events .
The Loving Charity Society was founded by African Americans after the Civil War . It offered members burial and medical insurance during segregation when they were barred by White companies . The LCS officers kept their offices on the second floor of the building . Records show that members here paid 25 cents per month for benefits . The hall was renovated in 2017 .
AMENITIES : interpretive panels .
AMENITIES : Water access , interpretive panels , towpath trail and restroom . Located in the C & O Canal National Historical Park .
CHURCH : The original church was located on Martinsburg Road . In about 1876 , that church was moved , pulled by oxen , to this site
Top : Warren historical site ; above : gospel singers .