Discover the stone that was used to rebuild Washington D.C. after the British invaded in 1814. Join local historian Paul Kreingold on a hike to learn about the lost history of the Potomac Marble, the hard, reddish stone that makes up the interior columns of the US Capitol.
Paul Kreingold will lead a tour of the 200-year-old quarries discovered during the research for his book Potomac Marble: History of the Search for the Ideal Stone. Mr. Kreingold is the Conservation Director of the Loudoun County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League and a Virginia Master Naturalist, Banshee Reeks Chapter.
We will be walking about 2.2 miles each way to the quarry on the C&O Canal towpath. Once we reach the site we will cross over the canal in a usually dry spot and then scramble up a steep incline into the quarry itself.
We will meet at the Dickerson Conservation Area Parking Lot in Dickerson, MD (20700 Martinsburg Rd, Dickerson, MD 20842) at 11:00am. If you are using your GPS, please note that White’s Ferry is currently closed so you will need to use the bridge over the Potomac River at Point of Rocks off Route 15.
