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The Potomac Heritage:
Before you flows the great Potomac River, a 390-mile stretch of water, forests, fields, and wetlands that tells the story of ten thousand years of human habitation. The river begins as a spring at the Fairfax Stone in West Virginia, evolves to a tidal river in Washington DC, and eventually expands to a body of water that is over ten miles wide as it empties into the Chesapeake Bay.
When Captain John Smith made his fateful voyage past this site in 1608, he saw Native American villages and stockaded forts scattered along the shoreline. A century-and-a-half later, George Washington looked across the waterway to see the same unblemished landscape that one views from Mount Vernon today.
Millions now live and work along this corridor, building upon cultural traditions laid down over ten millennia. The story of the Potomac valley is the story of colonial estates and small farmers and watermen and urban dwellers. It is an expression of the American Experience.
Vast areas of wilderness and open space remain along the river. Countless historical sites have been preserved. It is one of the prime recreational resources of the region. The Accokeek Foundation works with many other organizations to preserve the river's past, save environmental areas important to our quality of life today, and educate the public about how crucial this precious resource is to the future of our country. |