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The new District of Columbia was outlined with Aquia stone Boundary Markers.  The 10 square-mile area was encompassed with 40 markers.  The side that faced the inside read, “Jurisdiction of the United States.” The opposite side read “Maryland” or “Virginia,” whichever side it faced.  The third side gave the date it was placed there while…

After the burning of both the White House and the U.S. Capitol in 1814, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Architect of the Capitol, was chosen to rebuild the Capitol and examine the damage at the White House.  Since he did not find that much Aquia stone still available in Stafford, he decided to rebuild using pieces of…

In 1812 Congress bought one hundred plots from the Washington Parish Burial Grounds to inter members who died in office and whose remains could not be moved to their native states.  Fourteen senators and over sixty representatives were buried in the cemetery.  The Congressional Cemetery, as it is now called, has quite a few freestone…

Original pews in which George Washington and General Robert E. Lee worshiped are marked within this Georgian building.  Built from 1767-1773 from plans by noted colonial architect James Wren, the church was constructed of red brick and accented with Aquia stone quoins and keystones.  Unlike the freestone in Aquia Church and Pohick Church, its stone…

Aquia Harbour, as well as Government Island, was owned by Westinghouse Corporation in 1979.  At that time, the Aquia Harbour Homeowners had a large map in their office that showed the island divided up into available home lots.  Some lots were already sold when resident Jane Conner wrote a research paper uncovering its rich history.…

From 1925 through 1930, there was only one quarry in operation on Aquia Creek.  The George Washington Stone Corporation opened up the old Rock Rimmon Quarry that had operated in the early 1800s.  This time the quarry used a steam driven channeling machine and railroad.  Stone would be shipped to Alexandria where the company had…

Construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal was begun in 1828.  Since much stone was needed, existing and new quarries were used.  Most of the seventy-four locks were of granite or red Seneca Creek Sandstone.  However, two locks used a great deal of dressed Aquia stone, and two other granite locks had Aquia Creek freestone…

Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first lighthouse commissioned by the First Congress of the United States of America.  American-born architect John McComb, Jr., was offered the contract.  Constructed of hammered-dressed Rappahannock sandstone ashlar, the tower is seventy-two feet high with a spread foundation of twenty feet deep.  Aquia stone was used on foundations, windows, and…

Aquia Church is an excellent example of combining freestone and brick in colonial Virginia.   Built in cruciform design; its eight corners were trimmed with freestone quoins.  Keystones of Aquia stone were inserted in the round brick arches of the windows.  Doorways were decorated with sandstone instead of the rubbed brick popular in other Tidewater…

From an obscure island on Aquia Creek in Stafford, Virginia, came sandstone which was destined to construct America’s most historically significant architectural works.  The stone was never referred to as “sandstone” by our founding fathers.  Instead, it was called “Aquia Stone” since the stone was found on the island or else close to the shore…

This is the first known photograph of the United States Capitol.  Most of it contains stone from Stafford. In 1846, John Plumbe created this daguerreotype which shows the rounded dome known as the Bullfinch Dome.  This dome graced the U.S. Capitol from 1825 -1856.  It was made out of wood and covered with copper.  The…

Stone was quarried by skilled artisans, usually from England or Scotland, along with enslaved labor.  It was shipped by masted ships and sailed down Aquia Creek.  Once it reached the Potomac River, the stone traveled north to Washington, D.C.   In this picture, by N.C. Wyeth, President Washington and architect James Hoban are inspecting the…