Adopt a stone to rebuild Catoctin Aqueduct on the C&O Canal

[Kalidurga]

I just received my certificate in the mail. Yay! Thanks so much for coordinating this, Tam.

Glad you got it so quickly. Madscot, yours should be on the way, too. And hopefully we've all got receipts on the way.

Thanks again, ladies/women/broads/gals/chicas!

[madscot13]

Glad you got it so quickly. Madscot, yours should be on the way, too. And hopefully we've all got receipts on the way.

Thanks again, ladies/women/broads/gals/chicas!

which address did I give?

[Kalidurga]

I told them to send it to the return address on your envelope (in DC), rather than the one on your check.

[madscot13]

thanks I just wondered which of many secret addresses to be expecting it at. sometimes I don't know how to explain my mail to my parents when it comes to them instead of me.

[Zen]

Madscott...currently residing in **** Cheney's former undisclosed location

[madscot13]

I received my certificate. thanks!

[Kalidurga]

Excellent!

[divingbiker]

Got my letter/tax receipt yesterday. Thanks for taking care of all the details, Tam!

[Kalidurga]

I'm glad all of the paperwork worked out. Gotta ride up that way soon to see what further progress they've made.

[7rider]

Got my letter/tax receipt yesterday. Thanks for taking care of all the details, Tam!

Same here.
Thanks.

[Zen]

Gotta ride up that way soon to see what further progress they've made.

If it ever dries out enough.

[dingster1]

Got my letter yesterday! Great job!

[Zen]

I'm just going to spray paint my name on a stone.

[HillSlugger]

Same here.
Thanks.

me too

[Kalidurga]

A little news about "our" aqueduct and the gentleman heading up the restoration: One man spearheads quest to restore historic aqueduct. Shame the article didn't mention the stone adoptions.

George Lewis wants to rebuild history.

Lewis began the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Effort in 2005, and he leads the project toward rebuilding the collapsed aqueduct.

Only one of the aqueduct's three arches is standing, about 175 years after its construction.

Lewis credits his interest in the aqueducts to his days in Boy Scouts, when he got into stamp collecting, which led to an enthusiasm for history.

"I was in the military for 30 years," he said. "Military people tend to ... enjoy history just because of studying (it) and strategies and politics and wars and all that."

In 1996, he bought a farm along the C&O Canal, between Point of Rocks and Brunswick . "I love the outdoors," Lewis said. "I got involved in the history of the canal."

Lewis is an appointed member of the Federal C&O Canal National Historical Park Advisory Commission, essentially counseling the secretary of the interior on things relating to the C&O Canal.

"I had an interest in history, and interest in the outdoors, and the story to be told about the C&O Canal is just tremendous," Lewis said.

He explained that the location of the aqueduct is the only place where the C&O Canal and the B&O Railroad, "the big titan competitors in transportation," cross. Lewis said that is why the aqueduct is so important to the country's history and the history of transportation.

"Frederick County has got the beautiful Monocacy Aqueduct and the forgotten Catoctin Aqueduct," Lewis said. "We started raising awareness of that, and it caught fire."

Part of Lewis' endeavor includes a 6-foot, fiberglass Frederick Key he bought at a 2007 auction. Part of a public art display, the key was one of 30 placed throughout downtown Frederick in 2007.

One side of the key depicts the Catoctin Aqueduct, and the other illustrates the Monocacy Aqueduct's six arches, which Lewis said is "probably the most famous aqueduct in the country."

Lewis and his wife wanted to keep the piece as public art and allow public awareness of it.

They first placed the key in the Tourism Council of Frederick County's office on East Church Street before moving it to the visitors center in Williamsport in Washington County. Then it was housed at the headquarters of the C&O Canal National Historic Park, before moving back to the Tourism Council recently.

Lewis hopes the key, which he called "basically public art," is seen around town by residents.

"It's a key to part of the county's history, a key to tourism; it's a key that I guess links both the past and maybe the future, because of the people coming to Frederick County to visit," he said.