The Patowmack Canal Marker

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Near Great Falls in Fairfax County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Patowmack Canal

By Craig Swain, July 29, 2007

1. The Patowmack Canal Marker

Inscription. 1785–1828

This canal, skirting the 76-foot drop of the Great Falls of the Potomac, was the most demanding and complex of the five canals built by the Patowmack Company.

The company was founded by George Washington on May 17, 1785 to improve the Potomac River for access and trade with the western frontier.

The agreement that was developed between Maryland and Virginia to share the river for their common purpose led to further meetings—Annapolis (1786) and Philadelphia (1787) and the to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.

Donated by the Virginia Canals and Navigation Society and friends of George W. Higgs, Jr.

Location. 38° 59.785′ N, 77° 15.269′ W. Marker is near Great Falls, Virginia, in Fairfax County. Marker can be reached from Old Dominion Drive east of Georgetown Pike (Virginia Route 193). Click for map. Located along the Great Falls National Park main trail, just south of the Visitors Center. Marker is in this post office area: Great Falls VA 22066, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, as the crow flies. People and the Potomac (about 400 feet away, in a direct line); River of Change (about 400 feet away); A Globally Rare Environment (about 400 feet away); Great Falls Canal and Locks (approx. 0.5 miles away); Forestville School (approx. 1.7 miles away); Gold Mining in Maryland (approx. 2.8 miles away in Maryland); Old Road To The West (approx. 2.8 miles away); Great Falls Nike Missile Site (approx. 3.2 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Great Falls.

By Craig Swain, July 29, 2007

2. The Patowmack Canal Marker

More about this marker. The marker has a drawing depicting a bateau in the canal, and a photograph of the canal today.

Also see . . .
1. The Patowmack Canal. From the NPS site. Yes, one may argue that this "ditch" opened the door for dialogs that eventually produced the U.S. Constitution. (Submitted on August 15, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
2. Trail Map for Great Falls National Park. (Submitted on August 15, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
3. The Patowmack Canal - a Technical Look. (Submitted on August 15, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)