Broad Creek, Prince George's County, Maryland
Encyclopedia
Broad Creek in Prince George's County
was the first footprint of European settlement in the immediate counties around what would become the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
The area is part of greater Fort Washington
.
The area was settled by Europeans in the 1660s and the town was created in 1706 when the colonial Maryland Legislature
authorized surveying and laying out the towns of Queen Anne Town
, Nottingham, Mill Town, Piscataway
, Aire (also known as Broad Creek) and Upper Marlboro (then known as Marlborough Town).
In 1747, the legislature tried to improve the quality and the method of marketing tobacco
, then the major crop of the area, and established a formal system of tobacco inspection and quality control. The town was home to one of seven state tobacco warehouses built in Prince George's County.
The site is located 9 miles (14.5 km) south of the U.S. Capitol building on the Potomac River
.
Today, this "first footprint" of settlement in the capital area is an official Prince George's County Historic District, with three 17th century homesites and an 18th century Episcopal Church structure. The Broad Creek Historic District comprises 900 acres (3.6 km²) along the Potomac River, and is remarkable for its environmental resources, as well as its 12,000-year-old Indian archeological discoveries.
Prince George's County, Maryland
Prince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
was the first footprint of European settlement in the immediate counties around what would become the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
The area is part of greater Fort Washington
Fort Washington, Maryland
Fort Washington, Maryland is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland in the suburbs of the capital city of the United States of America, Washington, D.C., south of the downtown district. It is a prosperous community with an African American majority...
.
The area was settled by Europeans in the 1660s and the town was created in 1706 when the colonial Maryland Legislature
Province of Maryland
The Province of Maryland was an English and later British colony in North America that existed from 1632 until 1776, when it joined the other twelve of the Thirteen Colonies in rebellion against Great Britain and became the U.S...
authorized surveying and laying out the towns of Queen Anne Town
Queen Anne, Prince George's County, Maryland
Queen Anne in Prince George's County, Maryland is a former seaport on the Patuxent River in Maryland.-Geography:Queen Anne is located at 38°53'55" North, 76°40'42" West . Most of the town's former waterfront area is now part of Patuxent River Park, owned and operated by the Maryland-National...
, Nottingham, Mill Town, Piscataway
Piscataway, Maryland
Piscataway is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is one of the oldest European-colonized communities in the state...
, Aire (also known as Broad Creek) and Upper Marlboro (then known as Marlborough Town).
In 1747, the legislature tried to improve the quality and the method of marketing tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, then the major crop of the area, and established a formal system of tobacco inspection and quality control. The town was home to one of seven state tobacco warehouses built in Prince George's County.
The site is located 9 miles (14.5 km) south of the U.S. Capitol building on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
.
Today, this "first footprint" of settlement in the capital area is an official Prince George's County Historic District, with three 17th century homesites and an 18th century Episcopal Church structure. The Broad Creek Historic District comprises 900 acres (3.6 km²) along the Potomac River, and is remarkable for its environmental resources, as well as its 12,000-year-old Indian archeological discoveries.