Tag Archive | Point of Rocks Maryland
June 26, 2023  

Point of Rocks Maryland, 1911

Point of Rocks, 1911

Point of Rocks, 1911. Photo by Lewis Reed

In 1835, the community of Point of Rocks, originally known as Trummelstown, was laid out at the foot of the Catoctin Mountains along the route of the C&O Canal and the B&O Railroad in order to provide dwellings for workers building the railroad and canal. The community was soon thereafter renamed for a nearby notable geographic feature of projecting rocks formed at the point where the Catoctin mountain range reached the Potomac River. This feature is no longer visible today, as it has been largely removed to accommodate the construction of the railroad and Point of Rocks Tunnel. The coming of the transportation routes and the construction of an adjacent bridge crossing and railroad spur over the Potomac River in 1852 lead to the growth of the town. By 1858, dwellings, a store, a hotel and a number of warehouses and flour mills that received grain from northern Virginia farmers for transport to Washington were located along the north side of the railroad.

Point of Rocks Railroad Station, 1911

Point of Rocks Railroad Station, 1911. Photo by Lewis Reed

The growth of the Point of Rocks area was further prompted by the erection of the largest iron forge in the tri-state area on the opposite bank of the Potomac in Loudoun County, Virginia. In the mid-19th century, the operation employed over 250 men, many of whom crossed over the bridge from Maryland. The town also served passenger traffic on the railroad and became one of a number of resort towns along the Potomac River. By 1873, warehouses, hotels, and other commercial building lined both sides of the railroad and canal in an area south of the present-day village. In 1873, a location about a mile to the southeast of Point of Rocks became the junction of the B&O Railroad’s Metropolitan Branch and the Old Main Line passenger trains. The station name was first Point of Rocks, then changed to Washington Station in 1876, and reverted back to Point of Rocks in 1923.

Point of Rocks Railroad Station, 1911

Point of Rocks Railroad Station, 1911. Photo by Lewis Reed

The growth of the low-lying village was inhibited throughout the 19th and 20th centuries by several floods. By 1910, few remnants of the original village remained, with most of the village now being located on higher ground. In 2009, the earliest extant buildings date to the late 19th century.

January 17, 2023  

Strong as an Ox

Point of Rocks Maryland

A pair of oxen pull a wagon in Point of Rocks, Maryland. Edgar Reed, second from left is seated on the railing. Photo by Lewis Reed, 1911.

Everyone’s heard the phrase, “as strong as an ox”. Oxen often were used as draft animals in the early 20th century. They supplied much of the power associated with agriculture and were used to haul heavy loads, plow fields, and for carrying goods. A two-animal team usually can manage several tons. Interesting fact: Oxen cost half as much as horses, required half the feed and could be eaten in an emergency.

Point of Rocks has been an important crossroads of travel since American Indians established routes through the region. Though quieter these days, the area was bustling with commerce between the 1830s and 1930s. During the Civil War, troops from both sides frequently crossed the River and the Towpath. Troops traded volleys across the water, skirmished in and near Point of Rocks, and Confederates attacked canal boats and trains, destroyed locks, and raided supply stores. Both the C&O Canal Company and the B&O Railroad reached Point of Rocks by 1832.