[RP TownTalk] community history

[Adrienne Allegretti]

Not to distract from Dwight's question about what to name our local trail (by the way... how about OPT (Old Post Trolley) Green Trail) but it allows a great segway for me to tell you about a cool project going on in our neighboring community of Bladensburg.  At least I think it's cool, but I will admit to my biases since it's my husband's project.

 

Anyway, the State Highway Administration (SHA) and the Center for Heritage Resource Studies (CHRS) at the University of Maryland are conducting archaeological investigations on the Market Master's House, the Magruder House, and the George Washington House/Indian Queen Tavern. The hope is that they will help find evidence of the old Bladensburg town square, uncover information on the Battle of Bladensburg, and find remains of the Indian Queen Tavern. 

 

Bladensburg (est. 1742) is one of the oldest towns in the area next to Georgetown (est. 1751) and Alexandria (est. 1779) and is often woefully overlooked in its historical significance. Originally called Garrison's Landing, the town was renamed to honor Thomas Bladen who was the governor or MD from 1742-1747. It is most famously known for being the place where American troops were defeated on August 24, 1814 in the WAR of 1812 - a defeat that cleared the way for the British to burn Washington. It was also known for being a busy port, shipping out flour and tobacco, until the Anacostia river silted up by 1800. The town square is where most of this trading activity is thought to have taken place and as I mentioned already, it is the site of the Bostwick house (c.1747) and Indian Queen Tavern, also known as George Washington House (c.1732). 






With archaeology, they hope to reveal unknown information on these properties and aid a more fuller understanding of the site's history and contribute to a renewed public preservation ethic for these and other historic properties in the community. Historical research will also commence on the transportation of goods and people on the Anacostia River, railroad, and various historic and modern roads. Ultimately, this data will be incorporated into an interactive website that profiles the history of Bladensburg, the Battle of Bladensburg, and transportation routes within a historic and cultural landscape.

 

They are initiating public history workshops. The first of which took place on 4/29 at the George Washington House thanks to the Anacostia Watershed Society graciousness to host the event.  The next workshop will be in July. Please stay tuned, spread the word and read more about the project on their blog at http://bladenarch.blogspot.com/. 

 

~ Adrienne Allegretti

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