Gambrill State Park

The new CCC statue at Gambrill State ParkHistory of Gambrill State Park

Gambrill State Park was named in honor of the late James H. Gambrill, Jr., a well-known citizen of Frederick. Mr. Gambrill was a conservationist who first brought attention to the beauty of the area in the early 1900s. He believed that it was in the public’s best interest to develop the area into a park. Following his lead, a group of local citizens joined together to purchase the land. The group then donated the land to the city of Frederick to be used for a park. The city of Frederick soon after gave the land to the State of Maryland for the development of Gambrill State Park.

The Civilian Conservation Corps

Most of the buildings and facilities within the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. The CCC was a federal program that was created during the Great Depression.

The goal of the program was to create jobs for young men and to help restore the nation’s struggling natural resources.