OCEAN CITY — After two years from initial concept to final approval, a local Boy Scout last weekend installed a series of historical markers around the downtown area as part of his community-based service project to attain the rank of Eagle Scout.

In February, the Mayor and Council approved local resident William Rothermel’s final design for a series of interactive, informative signs designating significant historical areas around the resort. Last Saturday, after a brief presentation at City Hall attended by Mayor Rick Meehan and Senator Jim Mathias, among others, Rothermel and his Boy Scout Troop 261 colleagues with a little help from the city’s Public Works Department began installing the signs at their designated locations around the historic downtown area.

Rothermel, a self-described Ocean City historian of sorts, installed the attractive signs, each 24 inches by 36 inches, at six locations after conducting careful research. The signs are displayed at 45-degree angles on two posts. The signs are similar in design to the existing signs around the Inlet and other locations, but focus on historic aspects of the resort as opposed to pointing out the various natural features. For example, one sign was erected at City Hall and another was installed at the Talbot Street Dock, highlighting Ocean City’s rich fishing history.

Another sign was installed at the western end of Sunset Park where the old train line once crossed the bay and highlights the resort’s railroad history. Yet another sign was installed at the downtown train depot and bus transfer station, which is a replica of the original train station.

Another sign was installed near the concrete pad at Somerset Street and the Boardwalk and will highlight the historic pier and band shell that existed on the site for decades. Finally, a sign was installed at the east side of the Boardwalk at Caroline Street where the Lifesaving Station was originally located.