The Triangle Site

The Triangle Site. Town of Potomac. , The location of Del Ray Central apartments is often referred to as The Triangle Site. Both the topography of this place and transportation corridors defined the site's shape. The eastern side drops sharply down to the flat plain on which Potomac Yard was once situated. Rails and roads crossed on all three sides of this ground and created a triangular parcel of land., The first railroad established before the Civil War ascended the embankment and formed the northern side of the triangle. The Alexandria, Loudoun and Hampshire Railroad was formed in 1847 to move agricultural products and coal from the west to the port of Alexandria. The line was not a commercial success and experienced many changes in ownership. In the 20th century, it was called the Washington and Old Dominion Railway (W&OD) until the track was abandoned in 1968., Opening in 1892, the Washington, Alexandria and Mt. Vernon Electric Railway was one of the first inter-urban rail lines in America. A tunnel was built through the embankment near this site so the streetcar could move from Alexandria to Washington, D.C. The track ran at the eastern base of the bluff and then through the tunnel. This route, later known as Commonwealth Avenue, formed the second side of the triangle. Mt. Vernon Avenue delineates the third side of the Triangle Site., Four buildings and a small garage were on-site to the construction of Del Ray Central. (1) At the southern end was a restaurant known as Georgio's Piaza. It was built in 1958 as an Atlantic gas station, became a Thrifty car rental agency in 1968, and a restaurant in 1981. (2) The next building to the north was known as the Yellow Cab building. It was constructed in 1950, apparently as a Chinese laundry. (3) Just north of the Yellow Cab building was a small Diamond Cab kiosk, which was built as a gas station in 1960. (4) The northern most building the Mandarin In was used as a Chinese restaurant for almost 50 years, starting in 1957.