'The abuse finally became too much': Property owner to close access to Conococheague

Richard Nye said people have used part of his wooden fence to fuel a fire on his property on the Conococheague Creek.

"They were burning it right under a sign that said, 'No fires,'" Nye said.

But fires haven't been the only headache.

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"For nearly 25 years as the owner, I’ve allowed the public to launch boats, kayaks, canoes and floats below and above my dam (c 1746) on the creek; as well as fishing along my property," Nye wrote in an email. "I’ve had to deal with property damage, theft, trash and disrespect all these years, and it’s gotten worse, and the abuse finally became too much in June this year, and that is when I made the decision to fence off the property."

The property north of Williamsport at Kemps Mill and Rock Hill roads has a long history that starts with the creek.

The property once housed a mill and, later, a music venue.

For decades, Nye said, people have used what once was a parking lot to access the creek for fishing, swimming, kayaking and other activities.

But this weekend will be the last before a fence, some 400 feet long, goes up to block that access, Nye said in an interview.

"I hate to do it," he said.

Some of the final straws, Nye said, included broken windows and other vandalism, along with confrontations with adults about letting children play on and swim and fish near the dam. Nye said it's dangerous to be around the dam, and there are signs up prohibiting it.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office confirmed that deputies have been called to the property at least twice this summer for trespassing complaints.

In both instances, deputies asked the people to leave, and they did. No arrests were made.

What is the property used for these days?

Nye owns about 38.5 acres, but less than 4 acres are dry, he said. The rest are under the Conocochegue Creek approximately one-half mile above the dam and a mile below it.

When the mill was running, owning those stretches of the creek prevented others from building their own dams nearby and competing with or otherwise affecting the grist mill operation, Nye said.

That milling operation lasted from about 1746 to 1937. Milling ceased after flooding heavily damaged equipment on the second floor of the three-story building, according to Nye.

The structure later housed other ventures, including the Old Mill Tavern.

The last business closed in the mid-1980s, Nye said, and the structure sat vacant for years.

Meanwhile, Nye was serving 20 years as an Air Force pilot. He retired in 1987 and eventually decided he wanted to settle down, preferably in a cabin near some water in rural Maryland.

"I came across (the property) in '97, looking for that log cabin in the woods," he said.

He bought the property and has done some work to renovate the building and the dam.

"Mostly it's just my home," he said.

Nye, now 78, said he hosts some private parties in the building. But he doesn't rent it out.

"That would ruin my weekend, which is seven days long," he said.

'Law enforcement has more important uses of their time'

Nye isn't the only one in this situation.

In a July Facebook post, the Greencastle (Pa.) MiniMart notified customers that it was suspending access from its property to the same waterway. The store sits on Buchanan Trail West near the Conococheague Creek, upstream roughly 15 miles from Nye's property.

"The level of disrespect and lack of appreciation for the free community service that we provide here is disheartening," the post reads. "We have sustained constant disrespect, verbal abuse and yes, assault."

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The business put up a sign saying that it valued loyal customers but was suspending access to "The Jig," as the creek is known locally.

Sunny Singh, who owns the business, said Thursday that there have been no problems since the sign went up.

"We've just completely blocked it now," he said.

The July post said the business was exploring options to allow for access "to our loyal customers and local community." As of Thursday, however, no concrete plans were in place.

"We're still thinking about it," Singh said.

At Nye's property, people have long used what once was a parking lot and the strip of land to access the creek.

"Really there was no problem," he said.

Most people seemed to respect the property and the stream, he said.

In recent years, however, problems appeared.

And multiplied.

Finally, this summer, after having to confront people and call police, he decided to put up a fence.

"Law enforcement has more important uses of their time," he wrote in an email.

"And so do I."

Mike Lewis covers business, the economy and other issues. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MiLewis.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Landowner to stop creek access because of vandalism, other problems