Iron Hill Park

From my travels, December 4, 2022.

It’s been on my radar for a while to check out this small park that has some interesting historical connections. As we were on our way home from visiting family in Newark, DE, we decided to make a quick stop to check it out.

The main attraction that day was the dog park, which was wooded, but not very well maintained it seemed. There were just a few other dogs there, and our dog, Sallie seemed to enjoy herself. It was our first time taking her to any kind of off-leash area like that, so I don’t think any of us knew what to expect.

Farther up the hill, there is a collection of wayside markers discussing the geologic history of DelMarVa, the Pencader Hundred, the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge & the Philadelphia Campaign, the historic iron mining operations here (hence, the name of the hill), and Isaac’s favorite: the New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad. He insisted on reading the entire marker out loud by himself. It was actually really nice (if not a bit cold that day).

Prior to the Battle of Cooch’s Bridge, Gen. George Washington and other officers observed the British landing at Elkton, MD from atop this hill. Some fighting also took place along the slopes.