Shepherdstown in Jefferson County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Waterfront Commerce and the Mecklenburg Warehouse
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 29, 2019
1. Waterfront Commerce and the Mecklenburg Warehouse Marker
An inspection of tobacco shall be…established on the lands of the said Abraham Shepherd to be called and known by the name of Mecklenburg warehouse.
– Act of the Virginia Assembly, passed November 29, 1788.
You are standing near the Mecklenburg warehouse, once part of a busy transportation hub that connected the Shenandoah Valley with domestic and overseas markets. The warehouse was built around 1800 as a tobacco inspection facility, ensuring that Virginia's growers offered tobacco of the utmost quality. Tobacco's importance to the region soon waned, however, and the stone structure came to serve a new purpose, storing a variety of local crops before shipment: corn, wheat, oats, flour, and timothy seed. These products were loaded from the nearby wharf onto barges, which made their way down the Potomac River and the C&O Canal to Georgetown for far-flung distribution.
Erected by West Virginia Development Office's Governor's Community Participation Grant and the Friends of the Shepherdstown Riverfront.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 29, 1788.
Location.
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. River Crossing (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); The James Rumsey Bridge (about 700 feet away); Shepherdstown (about 700 feet away); a different marker also named Shepherdstown (about 700 feet away); Blackford's Ford (approx. 0.2 miles away in Maryland); a different marker also named Shepherdstown (approx. 0.2 miles away in Maryland); Jefferson County / Maryland (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Honor of James Rumsey (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Shepherdstown.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), December 29, 2019
2. Waterfront Commerce and the Mecklenburg Warehouse Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 29, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 29, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
