From our June 2025 issue
This ditch first appeared on local maps down east after the War of 1812. Some historians think invading British troops might have dug it across a narrow neck of land to protect their peninsular toehold and, perhaps, to bound would-be deserters by water on all sides, but its precise origins remain a muddy mystery. Hand-painted signs, scrawled in an Old English script and first installed over a century ago, mark historic landmarks throughout the surrounding town, which was also occupied by the Brits during the Revolutionary War. Over the past few years, the sign at this particular site has twice been snatched by thieves. But visitors shan’t fear! The sign has been replaced, and the Royal Navy hasn’t been spotted in years.
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