Haviland Mill Park

Haviland Mill Park, located in Clarksville, Maryland, features an elevated boardwalk completed between 2021 and 2022.

Project Partners

Penn Trails

Penn Trails specializes in designing, building, and maintaining sustainable trails. Known for their expertise in creating accessible and environmentally friendly pathways, they work on various projects including parks, nature reserves, and recreational areas.

Used in this project

Black Locust Boardwalks

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Press and Additional Resources

• Penn Trails: Haviland Mills Trail PDF
• Howard County News

Flickr Album

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The Haviland Mill Park project in Clarksville, Maryland, stands as a striking example of how thoughtful design and material choice can come together to create a functional, environmentally sensitive, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor space. Completed between 2021 and 2022, the project centered on the installation of an elevated boardwalk designed and built by Penn Trails. At the heart of the design is a material selection that reflects the park’s commitment to sustainability and long-term durability: black locust boards, supplied by Black Locust Lumber. The park itself is a beloved natural retreat, home to diverse plant and animal life, with wetlands and sensitive ecosystems that require careful consideration when introducing new infrastructure. Traditional materials, such as pressure-treated pine or composite boards, often fall short when the goal is to balance strength, environmental stewardship, and longevity. For this reason, Penn Trails and Howard County selected black locust wood as the primary building material. Known for its unmatched durability and resistance to rot, black locust lumber offers a natural alternative to chemically treated wood while blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The elevated boardwalk now winds gracefully through the park’s natural features, giving visitors the opportunity to explore otherwise inaccessible wetland areas without disturbing fragile habitats. By raising the walking surface above ground level, the boardwalk minimizes soil compaction and erosion, allowing water to flow naturally beneath it. This design not only protects the ecosystem but also ensures a safer, drier, and more comfortable experience for visitors year-round. From a design perspective, the visual character of black locust boards adds warmth and authenticity to the boardwalk. Unlike artificial alternatives, black locust wood weathers naturally over time, developing a silvery patina that harmonizes beautifully with the surrounding trees, streams, and grasses. This evolving aesthetic allows the boardwalk to feel like an organic extension of the park rather than a foreign structure imposed upon it. At the same time, the inherent density and strength of black locust lumber mean that the material can withstand heavy foot traffic and the harsh conditions of Maryland’s climate without requiring ongoing chemical treatments or excessive maintenance. Sustainability was a guiding principle in the execution of the project. Black locust is one of the most sustainable hardwoods available in North America. It grows rapidly, even in poor soils, and requires no chemical inputs such as fertilizers or pesticides to thrive. As a result, black locust wood represents an environmentally responsible building material that not only reduces the ecological footprint of construction but also contributes to the longevity of projects like Haviland Mill Park. Choosing this material demonstrates how parks and municipalities can meet their infrastructure needs without compromising their environmental values. The success of the Haviland Mill Park boardwalk has been highlighted through various outlets, including a dedicated Penn Trails Haviland Mills Trail PDF, coverage in Howard County News, and a curated Flickr album showcasing the project’s beauty. Each of these resources emphasizes how material choice and careful design can elevate a project beyond mere functionality, turning it into a community asset that invites exploration, recreation, and appreciation of the natural world. One of the most significant achievements of the boardwalk project is its role in enhancing accessibility. The inclusion of black locust boards in an elevated design provides a stable, even, and resilient surface that makes the wetlands accessible to people of all ages and mobility levels. Families with strollers, individuals with wheelchairs, and older visitors can now enjoy the park’s scenery with greater ease and comfort. This aligns with modern values of inclusivity, ensuring that public spaces can be shared and appreciated by all members of the community. Maintenance is another area where black locust lumber proves invaluable. Many park systems face ongoing challenges with upkeep, often burdened by materials that require frequent replacements or chemical treatments to resist rot and decay. Black locust, by contrast, is naturally rot-resistant and insect-resistant, often lasting for decades in outdoor applications. This reduces the need for replacement boards and harsh treatments, leading to cost savings and reduced environmental impact over the boardwalk’s lifespan. By incorporating black locust wood into the design, Penn Trails and Black Locust Lumber have helped set a new standard for sustainable park infrastructure. Haviland Mill Park now demonstrates how environmentally conscious construction can serve multiple goals at once: protecting ecosystems, providing durable infrastructure, enhancing accessibility, and creating aesthetically pleasing community spaces. In a broader context, the project reflects a growing recognition of the value of using black locust lumber in public works. With increasing attention on climate change, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable urban planning, the choice of materials is more important than ever. Black locust represents an alternative that does not sacrifice strength or longevity for sustainability, making it an ideal material for projects like boardwalks, decking, benches, bridges, and other outdoor structures. Haviland Mill Park’s boardwalk is more than just a pathway through the wetlands—it is a statement about how modern communities can design with both people and nature in mind. By using black locust boards, the project showcases how resilient natural materials can coexist with ecological sensitivity. Visitors who walk the trail may not immediately know about the environmental and design considerations behind the structure, but they experience them firsthand in the form of a safe, accessible, and beautiful journey through nature. This project will continue to serve as an inspiration for future initiatives across the region and beyond. With its successful integration of black locust wood into a large-scale public space, Haviland Mill Park illustrates how infrastructure projects can be both practical and principled. The elevated boardwalk, strengthened by the timeless qualities of black locust lumber, stands as a testament to innovation, sustainability, and the enduring relationship between communities and the natural landscapes they inhabit.