Park donated in honor of man who rescued Stevensville landmarks
STEVENSVILLE – The man who helped preserve many Stevensville landmarks will be remembered with a park in his name on property his son donated to Queen Anne’s County.
Roger W. Eisinger started buying as much property as he could in Stevensville in the 1980s, rebuilding an antique store and developing an arts district. His son, Bob Eisinger, still owned 5.27 acres of a farm Roger Eisinger purchased in the 1980s and wanted to preserve the parcel in his father’s name.
Queen Anne’s County agreed to take ownership of the donated parcel and placed a conservation easement on it with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.
The park would be open to the public and could possibly be the landing site for a pedestrian bridge over U.S. Route 50, connecting the two sides of The Cross Island Trail. Queen Anne’s County officials have struggled for years to figure out how to get people safely across Route 50, said County Administrator Gregg Todd.
Todd contacted Dick McIntyre, who designed the Cross Island Trail. McIntyre agreed to sketch a design for a possible pedestrian bridge. The county plans to pursue funding for implementation.
“The county is very grateful to the Eisinger family for dedicating this property to us which will be dedicated as the Roger W. Eisinger Jr. Park,” said Commissioner Dave Dunmyer. “We are also very excited about the park’s potential to serve as a gateway to a pedestrian walkway over Route 50 and as an environmental educational site through our partnership with the Midshore Riverkeepers.”
When ESLC Executive Director Rob Etgen saw the parcel, he thought it would make a great park and began talking to community members and interested parties about it being a pedestrian bridge landing site.
In the mid-1990s, he said, the Stevensville Community Plan team identified the property as a good spot for a park because of the way the headwaters from Thompson Creek came into town, but no progress was made at that time.
“I am delighted by the generosity of the Eisinger family and by the partnership that has emerged around this new park and connecting trail,” Etgen said. “We look forward to working with Queen Anne’s County and the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy to make the Roger W. Eisinger Park and connecting trail a treasure for everyone.”
The Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy will offer kiosks for public messaging and will explore other options, including native plantings.
“Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy is delighted that we were able to play a role in steering Bob Eisinger to Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and helping to interest Queen Anne’s County in the potential for accepting this property,” said Midshore Riverkeeper Executive Director Tim Junkin. “We are confident that the park and pedestrian overpass will be a wonderful asset for folks on Kent Island and around the area.”
Potential plan for a pedestrian bridge:
