First state park coming to Wicomico County

Quantico, Md. – Governor Wes Moore visited Wicomico County on Thursday, stopping at Wetipquin Park, which is set to be the county’s first state park. The new park will feature the Long Hill House, an 18th-century home open to the public and trails around the creek visitors can explore.

“It was a really remarkable experience,” Moore told reporters on Thursday.

According to Maryland Park Service officials, the state purchased the area for $3.3 million from Program Open Space funds, with additional support from the Graham Foundation. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz also visited the park and said during Thursday’s press conference that Maryland’s outdoor recreation industry hit $10.6 billion last year. State officials said the park will boost the local economy while sharing a piece of local history and preserving the environment.

“Part of the mission of the Maryland Park Service is to preserve the natural, cultural, and historical nature of Maryland, and I believe that the story of Maryland is the story of the United States,” MPS Director Angela Crenshaw said. “We want to share the full history of this. There is a plantation house behind me. We want to talk about why it is here, the reason it’s still here.”

Moore said he hopes state parks will enable Marylanders to experience all the beautiful places in the state while learning the history behind them.

“It’s the history that matters, that we have a pretty remarkable history as a state,” he said. “You can’t understand the history of the United States without understanding the history of the state of Maryland, and the role that we played.”

In addition to exploring the histories of the families who lived at Long Hill House, Crenshaw says the park will also go in depth on the histories of Native American, Black and enslaved individuals in the area and on the property.

During a press conference, Moore said he wanted as many Marylanders as possible to get a chance to experience “all of Maryland.”

“I want to get a chance to make sure that as many Marylanders as possible can see what I had a chance to see,” Moore said. “Because I think it’ll not just give us a deep sense of appreciation of those who came before us, but it’ll also give us a deep sense of appreciation of the work that we have to do to make sure we’re building a bright future for those who are going to come after.”

Crenshaw says the park will be managed by the team from Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park, which will help interpret the history not just of Harriet Tubman but of the entire area.

“So you can visit the park, learn about her or her life and her legacy at the visitor center, and then come here and actually walk on land that was at one point a plantation, so hopefully you can connect to that history and feel that story,” Crenshaw said.

The park is anticipated to open to the public in 2027.