Devil's Backbone Dam is one of the few remaining original dams from the height of Washington County's flour production in the early 19th century and a representative example of masonry dams that predate the Civil War. Census records indicate that a large commercial mill operated at this location from the 1820s through the 1890s. In 1916, the Antietam Electric Light and Power Company purchased the land, and that company, along with Maryland Light and Power and later Potomac Edison Company, appears to have used the parcel as a small electric power generation station, likely harnessing the existing dam with some modifications. During this period, the original two foot concrete cap was probably placed atop the masonry dam. After power generation was abandoned, Potomac Edison donated the land to the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, MD, which soon created a park that opened on June 26, 1966. In the 1990s, the dam began to show signs of deterioration, including areas of missing stones. An in-depth inspection and analysis in 2001 indicated that corrective action should be taken to stabilize the structure, and later that year the County Commissioners began coordinating with the Maryland Department of Environment, Dam Safety Division, to develop a remediation scope of work. Over the next several years, the County Commissioners evaluated three structural options—rehabilitation, partial dam breach, or complete removal—with input from the community, Maryland Department of Environment, and Maryland Historical Trust. In 2010, they decided to rehabilitate the dam. The design was completed in early 2011 by Wallace, Montgomery and Associates of Towson, MD, and a construction contract was awarded to C. William Hetzer, Inc. of Hagerstown, MD, for $1.5 million. Construction began in June 2011 and was completed in December 2011. Additional park improvements stabilized eroding stream banks along Lappans Road and improved stream access and recreational opportunities. The project was funded by the State of Maryland and the County Commissioners and managed by the Washington County Division of Public Works.