Monocacy battlefield superintendent to take same post at Antietam

Sylvia Carignan, The Frederick News-Post, Md.
·2 min read

Andrew Banasik, superintendent at Monocacy National Battlefield, will leave his post to become Antietam National Battlefield’s superintendent May 19.

Banasik is a Civil War history enthusiast with more than 25 years of experience in the National Park Service.

He follows Susan Trail, who also served as Monocacy’s superintendent before moving to Antietam. Trail, who retired as Antietam’s superintendent in 2023, also had more than two decades of experience in the National Park Service.

The natural and historic resources at both parks are similar, making the transition an easy one, Banasik said in an interview with The Frederick News-Post on Wednesday.

Monocacy National Battlefield covers about 1,650 acres and is outside Frederick city limits on Urbana Pike. The 3,200-acre Antietam National Battlefield is in Washington County.

Banasik started his career in the National Park Service in 1997 at Monocacy as a seasonal park ranger. He has also worked at Catoctin Mountain Park.

Banasik became Monocacy’s superintendent in 2020.

“I’ve been able to experience so many awesome resources in the parks that I’ve worked in,” he said, citing the forests of Catoctin and the landmarks of the battlefield. “That varied experience has been something that appeals to me personally.”

Last year, Banasik oversaw efforts to expand Monocacy’s trails and make them more accessible, with new signage and descriptions. He is proud of that work, which “broadened the public’s ability to experience the park,” he said.

Banasik, a Loudoun County resident, is wrapping up his work at Monocacy before the busy summer season.

“It’s a great park with awesome resources and some incredible stories, but also a fantastic and close staff.” Expecting the same at Antietam, he said, “I’m really looking forward to getting up there and getting started.”

Antietam National Battlefield is the site of what is known as the “bloodiest day in American history.” More than 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after 12 hours of combat during the Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862, according to the National Park Service.

The federally managed grounds include monuments, a visitor center, Antietam National Cemetery, Pry House Field Hospital, Dunker Church and a park library.

The National Park Service has not yet identified a replacement for Banasik at Monocacy.