by Geoff Fox
The Hancock Historical Society is looking to incorporate a nod to town history by naming municipal parking lots after the historical significance related to each spot.
Historical Society President Dan Murphy said he’d talked to Town Manager Mike Faith who said it would be nice to have “interesting names” on the new parking lots — those lots being the parking lot across from Weaver’s and the municipal lot on Canal Street.
Murphy offered a suggestion to name the municipal lot the “Taney House Parking Lot” because of the history of the Taney House being a whiskey warehouse along the C&O Canal.
The building can be proven to be the only building within town perimeters that operated during the usage of the C&O Canal, which ended in 1924.
The property, Murphy said, has been a bed and breakfast for the last number of years.
He added they haven’t figured out a name for the lot across from Weaver’s yet, but Councilman David Kerns had an idea.
Kerns noted the lot now used as a parking lot and below the Hancock Fire Company, used to be the site of the town’s original firehouse.
Murphy said with the current firehouse sitting above the lot, it would be logical to incorporate the fire department into the name.
Kerns said it was just a suggestion.
Faith said it was just something he was looking for as a way to honor the town’s history.
The building that stood in that spot was in existence and used during the Civil War.
Town officials did not make a decision on whether to move forward, but Murphy said, “We’ll get back to you on that.”
