potomac valley history

The canal’s construction began in 1828 and was meant to connect Washington, D.C., to the headwaters of the Ohio River in Pittsburgh.

A lighthouse was built in 1830, and during the Civil War, the peninsula served as a prison for Confederate soldiers.

The land was eventually sold in 1846 to Quaker timber merchants who were staunch abolitionists and purposely operated the Virginia farm using only free labor.

Sept 17, 1862, the first Civil War battle to take place in Northern territory and the single bloodiest day of the War with over 23,000 casualties.

Frederick, the county seat, is located a few miles north of the site of the Battle of Monocacy (July 9, 1864) of the American Civil War.

Another way to ride the canal is in a replica canal launch boat from the 1920s.

The Pope-Leighey House was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1939 following his “Usonian” style, and was meant to be able to provide middle-class families with affordable housing.

In 1965, it was moved to the Woodlawn property in order to move it out of the way of a highway expansion project.

Potomac Valley Brick was founded in 1976 by Jack Richardson, Ron Hurley, Bud Keesling and Jack’s son, Alan Richardson.

1977, Negative publicity about the polluted Potomac River and the Tidal Basin helped prompt Congress to pass the Clean Water Act of 1977.

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983.

When Jack passed away in 1984 at the age of 57, the partners decided they wanted to sell their company shares.

In 1987, he bought out the partners and became the company’s majority shareholder.