Bench Program

Bench sponsored by the Daofeng and Angela Foundation at Four Locks. Image by Nicholas Clements.

Since the program began in 2015, the C&O Canal Trust has collaborated with the C&O Canal Association to install 87 benches in the C&O Canal National Historical Park (NHP), made possible through the generosity of Trust donors.

Benches can be sponsored in the C&O Canal NHP to honor or memorialize a loved one, or simply to provide a welcome place for rest and reflection for visitors to the Park. The Trust will work with you to identify a location that has special meaning to you and the person you are choosing to honor. Once a location has been chosen, it is then submitted to the Park for approval. Considerations include location safety, maintenance, law enforcement needs, and the natural and cultural resources that may be impacted by the bench.

Donors can sponsor a bench with an initial fully tax-deductible donation of $3,000 for a three-year term. They then have the opportunity to sponsor subsequent three-year terms for $1,500 per term.

To learn more about the benches currently installed in the Park, please visit our Benches on the C&O Canal page.

Questions?
Please contact Robyn Sumner, Director of Development, at [email protected] for more information about sponsoring a bench.

*We have reached our capacity for the bench program in 2023 and 2024. Please contact Robyn Sumner with questions. 

Top image by Nicholas Clements