Rock Creek (Monocacy River tributary) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rock Creek
The confluence of Rock and Marsh Creek is north of the Pennsylvania/Maryland border by 12.7 arcseconds (c. 1907 map).
On July 2, 1863, "Wiedrich's battery [of] six rifled cannon also exchanged fire with one of Jones's batteries on the opposite side of Rock Creek",[1] and snipers from a home on the East side fired on positions on the West side of the creek (on July 3, Confederates retreated across Rock Creek.)[2]
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Region	Adams County
Townships	West: Cumberland, East: Mount Joy & Straban
Cities	Gettysburg, PA, Barlow, PA
Physical characteristics
Main source	Susquehanna drainage divide
River mouth	Monocacy River
Basin features
Basin size	65 sq mi (170 km2)
Tributaries	Left: coordinates shown right-justified Right: coordinates shown left-justified
Namesakes	Civil War: Rock Creek Rangers

Rock Creek is an 18.9-mile-long (30.4 km) tributary of the Monocacy River in south-central Pennsylvania and serves as the border between Cumberland and Mount Joy townships. Rock Creek was used by the Underground Railroad (at McAllister's Mill, "slaves would slosh through the water to throw off the tracking dogs that were pursuing them") and flows near several Gettysburg Battlefield sites, including Culp's Hill, the Benner Hill artillery location, and Barlow Knoll.

Rock Creek intersections, north-to-south
Intersection	Location/Description	Coordinates
Sources	On drainage divide with Conewago Creek Northernmost watershed point: Summit near Oak Hill Rd: Summit on Stone Jug Rd: Summit on Harrisburg Rd:	39°55′17″N 77°11′21″W / 39.92145°N 77.18907°W / 39.92145; -77.18907
Leedy Rd		39°53′55″N 77°11′24″W / 39.898669°N 77.190043°W / 39.898669; -77.190043
Shriver's Corner Rd		39°53′38″N 77°11′40″W / 39.894012°N 77.194464°W / 39.894012; -77.194464
Keller Rd		39°53′18″N 77°11′57″W / 39.888435°N 77.199297°W / 39.888435; -77.199297
Branch	Crosses US 15 at milepost 13.2 north of Hunterstown Rd bridge	39°52′14″N 77°12′50″W / 39.87042°N 77.213781°W / 39.87042; -77.213781
Branch	Extends beyond Shriver's Corner Road (at Goldenville Rd) to just beyond Rentzel Rd: 39°54′43″N 77°11′44″W / 39.911909°N 77.19552°W / 39.911909; -77.19552	39°51′53″N 77°13′07″W / 39.864656°N 77.21848°W / 39.864656; -77.21848
Boyd's Schoolhouse Rd	Cumberland/Straban township border	39°51′24″N 77°13′24″W / 39.85667°N 77.22333°W / 39.85667; -77.22333
Survey line	Borough line
	"Site 59" on creek in Cumberland and Straban townships "intended for flood control".[3]
Blocher's Run	Flow from Marsh Creek (west) & Conewago Creek (north) triple pt on Oak Ridge:39°51′32″N 77°14′41″W / 39.858792°N 77.24483°W / 39.858792; -77.24483}	39°50′52″N 77°13′33″W / 39.847665°N 77.225797°W / 39.847665; -77.225797
US 15 Bus.	Harrisburg Road site of former 1846 covered bridge built by Joseph Clapsaddle near Barlow Knoll	39°50′41″N 77°13′22″W / 39.84472°N 77.22278°W / 39.84472; -77.22278
Run	drainage from the east
Run	Drainage along former site of Alm's house from Gettysburg College's Quarry Lake & Oak Ridge triple point (with Willoughby/Pitzer Runs)	39°50′17″N 77°13′17″W / 39.838126°N 77.221412°W / 39.838126; -77.221412
Stevens Creek		39°50′13″N 77°13′17″W / 39.836882°N 77.221527°W / 39.836882; -77.221527
Island	Depicted on 1916 Gettysburg National Military Park map
Run	(Depicted on battlefield map at right)
Railroad	Early's Confederates burned the trestle on June 27, 1863 [4](rebuilt days later & in 1912)[5]
US 30	1807 3-arch [6] stone bridge of 60 ft (18 m), 1853 covered bridge, 1919 Lincoln Highway bridge,[7] replacement [8]	39°50′54″N 77°13′11″W / 39.84833°N 77.21972°W / 39.84833; -77.21972
PA 116	Site of former 1853 90-foot covered bridge built by John Finly and 1932 concrete bridge.[9][10]	39°49′51″N 77°13′4″W / 39.83083°N 77.21778°W / 39.83083; -77.21778
Survey line	Borough line
Winebrenner Run	[11][12]	39°49′47″N 77°13′05″W / 39.829632°N 77.217922°W / 39.829632; -77.217922
Rock Creek Ravine	Location noted in several battle records	39°49′35″N 77°13′03″W / 39.826369°N 77.217579°W / 39.826369; -77.217579
Jones Bridge Run?	Flows north of Culp's Hill to confluence just upstream of island	39°49′20″N 77°13′03″W / 39.822117°N 77.217504°W / 39.822117; -77.217504
Survey line	1893 Warren survey line for Gettysburg Battlefield crossed creek [13]
Benner Run	Flows southeast of Benner's Hill artillery location ("Ladys Run" in 1886)[14]	39°49′11″N 77°12′50″W / 39.819645°N 77.213974°W / 39.819645; -77.213974
Ford	between Spangler Spring and farm (Z. Tawney during the battle)
Spangler Spring Run	Drainage southward from Stevens Knoll	39°48′51″N 77°12′54″W / 39.814124°N 77.215079°W / 39.814124; -77.215079
Guinn Run[15]		39°48′39″N 77°12′52″W / 39.81083°N 77.21444°W / 39.81083; -77.21444
	Former site of McAllister's Mill dam (destroyed by 1870 flood)[16]
Run	(Depicted on battlefield map at right)
Ford	1889 road downstream of McAllister's Mill[17]
Baltimore Pike	1802 turnpike bridge (north of PA 97 terminus)	39°48′18″N 77°12′41″W / 39.80500°N 77.21139°W / 39.80500; -77.21139
Run	Flows under Baltimore Pike	39°48′10″N 77°12′39″W / 39.802645°N 77.210825°W / 39.802645; -77.210825
Run		39°47′55″N 77°12′28″W / 39.798701°N 77.207869°W / 39.798701; -77.207869
Run		39°47′38″N 77°12′33″W / 39.794015°N 77.209296°W / 39.794015; -77.209296
US 15	Near site of Battle of Gettysburg field hospital at George Bushman Farm:39°47′27″N 77°12′54″W / 39.79083°N 77.21500°W / 39.79083; -77.21500
White Run	Drainage from Lake Heritage, Pennsylvania	39°47′05″N 77°12′20″W / 39.784651°N 77.205552°W / 39.784651; -77.205552
Run	Drainage from Weikert Hill and Round Top, Pennsylvania	39°46′52″N 77°12′42″W / 39.781234°N 77.211699°W / 39.781234; -77.211699
Wright Avenue Run	from Big Round Top
Sachs Road	1891 bridge	39°46.950′N 77°12.387′W / 39.782500°N 77.206450°W / 39.782500; -77.206450
Little's Run	"Two Taverns Run" in 1901 [18] when bridge was built at Little's Tavern headpoint near White Hall:39°47′25″N 77°06′46″W / 39.79027°N 77.112651°W / 39.79027; -77.112651	39°46′45″N 77°12′45″W / 39.77928°N 77.212579°W / 39.77928; -77.212579
Soloman Road	1895 steel Burr arch bridge[19] "Lott's Bridge"[20] at "Lott's fording" & 1977 ("Lott's Bridge") near Pine Bank Cemetery	39°46.339′N 77°12.532′W / 39.772317°N 77.208867°W / 39.772317; -77.208867
Run		39°46′18″N 77°12′43″W / 39.771634°N 77.212029°W / 39.771634; -77.212029
Rock Creek Ford	Former ford just upstream of bend in creek with overhanging cliff	39°46′17″N 77°13′09″W / 39.771504°N 77.219124°W / 39.771504; -77.219124
Distributary	Former headpoint of millrace	39°45′30″N 77°13′31″W / 39.758325°N 77.225368°W / 39.758325; -77.225368
Dam ruins	Former 1798 Black's/Horner's Mill dam to provide head for millrace (rebuilt 1937)	39°46′17″N 77°13′09″W / 39.771504°N 77.219124°W / 39.771504; -77.219124
Plum Run	Named "Rock" Run in 1821	39°45′32″N 77°13′37″W / 39.758969°N 77.226806°W / 39.758969; -77.226806 (mouth of Plum Run)
PA 134	Taneytown Rd at Barlow: 1841 covered bridge, c. 1872 replacement, 1923 & 1989 concrete bridges	39°45′24″N 77°13′53″W / 39.75667°N 77.23139°W / 39.75667; -77.23139
Run	Flow from southwest of Big Round Top	39°45′16″N 77°13′58″W / 39.754449°N 77.232642°W / 39.754449; -77.232642
Run		39°45′15″N 77°13′58″W / 39.754152°N 77.232771°W / 39.754152; -77.232771
Cromer's Ford	Former ford for Chapel Road route south to Taneytown Rd (horse team, wagon, & driver swept away in 1875)	39°45′14″N 77°13′57″W / 39.75402°N 77.232599°W / 39.75402; -77.232599
Run	Upstream of site of former ford at Benner Rd	39°44′44″N 77°13′57″W / 39.745606°N 77.232385°W / 39.745606; -77.232385
Run	Near former intersection of Taneytown Rd & Basehoar-Roth Rd, and upstream of former Swetland Rd ford	39°44′24″N 77°13′08″W / 39.740095°N 77.218995°W / 39.740095; -77.218995
Mason-Dixon Rd	("Rock Creek Rd") site of 192-foot, single-span 1890 Burr arch bridge (east span collapsed January 5, 1946)[21]	39°43.800′N 77°13.819′W / 39.730000°N 77.230317°W / 39.730000; -77.230317
Lousy Run	Near The Links	39°43′24″N 77°13′44″W / 39.723445°N 77.228887°W / 39.723445; -77.228887
Mouth	Confluence with Marsh Creek ("The Points")	39°43′12.7″N 77°13′3.7″W / 39.720194°N 77.217694°W / 39.720194; -77.217694

Tributaries

• Blocher's Run is a stream which flows from Oak Ridge (triple watershed point at 39°51′32″N 77°14′41″W / 39.858792°N 77.24483°W / 39.858792; -77.24483) on the Gettysburg Battlefield eastward to the Rock Creek (39°50′52″N 77°13′33″W / 39.847665°N 77.225797°W / 39.847665; -77.225797) through and near areas of the Battle of Gettysburg, First Day. During the Battle of Gettysburg Confederate soldiers took cover behind the trees that lined the stream.

• Guinn Run is a stream flowing southeastward from Cemetery Hill past the Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center to Rock Creek. The stream was bridged by the 1809 Gettysburg and Petersburg Turnpike Company and in the commemorative era by the United States War Department when Hunt and Slocum Avenues were built. A dam was built on Guinn Run to form a pond for Fantasyland, Pennsylvania, through the 1960s and 1970s.[22]
• Spangler Spring Run is a stream which flows from near Culp's Hill to the Rock Creek through Gettysburg Battlefield areas of the Battle of Gettysburg, Second Day, to Rock Creek at 39°48′51″N 77°12′54″W / 39.814124°N 77.215079°W / 39.814124; -77.215079.
• Stevens Run (Stevens Creek, Tiber) is a 2.2-mile-long (3.5 km) stream which is a tributary of Rock Creek flowing over the Gettysburg Battlefield and through the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Within the borough the stream is in a concrete channel, including a covered portion. From 1884 to 1942, the run was spanned by three bridges of the Round Top Branch railroad. Samuel Gettys' Tavern was located on the south side on the uphill slope of the now-named Stevens Run, and Rock Creek Church was approximately on the north bank of the now-named Carlisle Street and Stevens Run. In 1902, a new bridge was built over the Tiber on Chambersburg Street.[23]
• Winebrenner Run is a stream in Gettysburg, flowing eastward to Rock Creek originally from a Gettys-Black Divide triple point (with Stevens Run & Guinn Run) near Zeigler's Grove. The Confederate military line along the stream was the starting point for the battle of East Cemetery Hill on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, and most of the upstream portion of the run was engineered c. 1961 into underground drainage to open flow at the school complex near the Culp Farm at East Confederate Avenue.[24]
• White Run is a stream which flows along East Cavalry Field and is an eponym of the Rock Creek-White Run hospital complex. The run's mouth is at Rock Creek near the Trostle Farm along the Sachs Road, site of a hospital east of Round Top, Pennsylvania.