Signage to Mark the Route and to Describe Sites 

Examples of Signs in each state along the trail The W3R-US Logo Route Marker (wayfinding sign, helps you follow a trail) Gateway Sign (state overview, key to related trails) Interpretive Sign (overlook sign, describes an event or site) Guidelines (Standards) for a W3R-US Interpretive Sign Kiosk (where you need more than a single-panel sign)

Examples of Signs Placed along the W3R  W3R chapters have the primary responsibility for the development, funding, and placement of markers: Rhode Island: In 2006 May the state placed about 140 route markers along the W3R in Rhode Island. Several interpretive signs are planned for Newport and Providence. Connecticut: In 2005 and 2006 the W3R-CT installed 12 interpretive signs along the W3R in that state. The design and construction of the signs was funded by a private donation. New York: In 2006 local historical societies placed 45 interpretive signs at sites where officers and troops stayed along the W3R. New Jersey: In 2006 the town of Mahwah placed about 20 route markers (in three sizes) along the W3R through that town. Pennsylvania: Several Interpretive signs are being developed. Requests for route markers will be made now that the trail has been designated a National Historic Trail. Delaware: In 2005 the W3R-DE placed an interpretive sign (funded jointly by the SAR and DAR) next to the Grand Opera House in Wilmington, Delaware, to commemorate the stay of Lauzun's Legion (French Army) of 550 soldiers, who were posted in nearby buildings for a five-month period in 1782-3. The April 22 dedication ceremony was a highlight of the 2005 annual meeting of the W3R-US, held in WIlmington. The interpretive sign [PDF file] In 2006 October the Delaware Department of Transportation placed about 40 route markers along the W3R. Maryland: We hope to replace the interpretive sign that was placed at Camden Yards in Baltimore during the Bicentennial of the American Revolution (1976-1983). We are completing an interpretive sign for installation in Annapolis in 2010. We plan to request MD state route markers along the W3R-NHT now that the trail has been designated a National Historic Trail. District of Columbia: We hope to replace the interpretive sign that once stood at the site where the allied baggage train forded the Potomac River in Georgetown. Virginia: The DAR has updated and replaced several interpretive signs that were originally created and placed at Mt. Vernon and Yorktown during the Bicentennial of the American Revolution (1976-1983): 2003 Oct 29 - fund-raising starts Mt. Vernon on 2005 May 14. Mt Vernon sign [a PDF file] The DAR replaced a sign at Yorktown on 2006 Oct 19 [no photos yet].

The W3R-US Logo  The W3R-US held a signage workshop in conjunction with the 2005 Annual Meeting. Several months later representatives from most of the W3R states met with the National Park Service Sign Shop staff at the NPS Harper's Ferry facility and agreed on the W3R-US logo shown here. This was designed so as to be easily read and identified by people traveling at highway speeds along the W3R. The chair of the W3R-US can provide authorized users with a large vector-graphics file suitable for putting the logo on high-resolution prints or large-scale signs.

Route Markers (Wayfinding Signs, Trail Markers)  Tourists like to have a series of small route-specific signs to let them know they are still on the right trail and to alert them to important turns and nearby W3R-related historical sites. For good visibility route markers should be about 12 by 15 inches in size and contain either the W3R-US logo by itself the logo with an arrow at the bottom to indicate a route turn or the logo and an arrow and a name to indicate a side-path to a nearby site related to the W3R.

Gateway signs  It is helpful to give tourists an overview of the W3R in the state and to note other nearby related trails. This can be done using a gateway sign that is larger and more elaborate than a route sign. The sign may display a state route-map showing the locations of kiosks, interpretive signs, and major sites near the route that are related to the W3R.

Interpretive (or Overlook) Signs  When tourists stop at the site of a major event or building they want to learn more about the historical actions and people. An interpretive sign can provide several paragraphs of information and one or more graphics to supplement the view, brochures, and local guides. View various Rochambeau markers [www.waymarking.com] The W3R interpretive signs in Connecticut and New York were designed before there was a W3R-US sign standard and thus use earlier logos and a smaller font for text. Below is a small-size graphic of an interpretive sign that conforms to the W3R-US guidelines (standards) -- see next paragraph..