Evening star., 1936-03-15
Lore of Early Competitor of Ne,o York Revived
By Dumfries Resettlement Project Near Capital
Historic Beauty Untolds
as Recreation Site Is
Developed.
10000 Acres in De-
pIeted Area-$225,OOO
Earmarked for Site.
This is the first OF series OF
sir articles on the progress OF
Resettlement Administration prof.
ects in Maryland and Virginia.
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY,

RSSSbLbcUSHL
ects in Maryland and Virginia.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.
Sprawled alongside the Washing
ton Richmond Highway is the forlorn |
village of Dumfries-a church, a
general store, a tavern and about 20
houses.
Two hundred years ago two cities
were rivals for the commercial and
maritime supremacy of the New
World. One has since become the
second largest and richest metropolis
on earth. Dumfries is what is left
Of the other
Such. at least, is the story told by
Resettlement Administration en-
gineers who are building recreation
park for the City of Washington on
land which might have been top
heavy with skyscrapers and traversed
by Fifth avenues and Broadways.
Whether or not Dumfries ever was
a serious rival of New York, it was
big and booming town in its day,
with every expectation of becoming
one of the big cities of America. 1t
was the big tobacco port-where were
located the docks and warehouses of
the Edinburgh merchants. 1t was
the outlet to Europe of most of the
tobacco OF Northern Virginia. then
| the worlds most important producing
center.
1t was the social and educational
nucleus of the area. George Wash
| ington used to go there to attend the
theater. Life was gay and-accord-
ing to some OF the data dug up from
ancient country records by Nathan
NJ. Briscoe, the historian on the re-
settlement project-not exactly puri-
tanical. The best whisky cost
shillings gallon, apple jack cost
| shilling gallon, and a certain un-
| fortunate Mary Kelly one day re-
ceived 25 lashes at the public whip
ping post for most reprehensible con-
| duct.
Backed by Plantations.
Back of the town was a rolling
! country of tobacco plantations. There
the beaux and bellies of Queen Anne's
day used to ride at their courting
along shady roads. So-called rolling
| roads, down which hogsheads of to-
bacco were propelled to the dock,
were the only quilted places to dis
figure the hillsides.
Dumfries wasn't exactly seven
teenth century American Babylon, for
all the gay, fashionable young bloods
who came out from Edinburgh to over
see their fathers warehouses cut high
capers among the plantations, and
shot each other at sunrise back of
the town in the approved style of the
day. But it is gone today-almost as
completely as Babylon. 1t has been
gone for more than a century. The
American Revolution ruined the to-
bacco trade. Sitting of Occoquan
! Greek and the Potomac ruined it as
port. The soil of the plantations
declined in fertility and became un-
productive. For years past about the
only signs of life to the old town
| came when occasional groups of
A. W. o. L. Quantico Marines made
whoopie IN the neighborhood.
Then came the Resettlement Ad-
ministration. looking for good site
for a large scale demonstration prof.
ect somewhere near Washington-land
so worthless for agriculture that no.
body could possibly make decent liv-
ing on it. but yet within convenient
distance OF large center of popula-
ton and offering facilities for recrea-
tional development. The back country
of Dumphries-the Broadway and the
Fifth avenue of the metropolis which
might have been-waS certainly bad
enough to meet the first requirement.
It was a dismal countryside of eroded,
sterile fields, dilapidated little farm
houses. ancient graveyards overgrown
with blackberry grambles, cut over
woodlands, abandoned mining opera
tions. About half the farms were
deserted anyhow.
Beauty Spots Found.
Yet when resettlement surveyors
| and National Parks Service experts
began puttering around the forlorn
land they found expected beauty spots.
There were swift, clear streams and
even a waterfall, magnificent vistas
of forest regrowths, glades alive with
the ghosts of the love makers of old
Dumfries. Two fairly large streams
flowed through the area-the Deco
guam River and Chopawamsic Greek.
The site finally was decided on after
consultation with the social agencies
of Washington, and ID is being set up
especially as Summer camping
ground for church groups, Boy and
Girl Scouts, groups of mothers and
babies, health camps, etc. 1t Is to
serve primarily about every purpose
the Community Chest agencies need
it for. Besides, there will be recrea-
tional facilities for the people of the
neighborhood, especially picnic grounds
for the country churches. Neat clus-
tiers of log cabins are being erected to
house the groups expected next Sum-
mer. As soon as Spring breaks the
cleared-ou woodland will become
place of exceptional beauty. 1t is full
of dogwood and laurel. There are
dark. cool hemlock groves beside quiet
pools. The whole atmosphere is ex-
ceptionally mountainous for place SO
close to the riverside.
Unlike most Resettlement Admin
istration projects, this one probably
will not be turned over to the State
of Virginia when it is completed. Since
1t is intended primarily for Washing
ton, some Federal agency, probably the
National Parks Service, will have the
administration of 1t. Their experts
have directed each step Of the recla-
nation.
Present plans call for making the
area a worthwhile educational center
for Washington children. A natural
ist may be provided during the Sum-
mer. A survey of the fauna and fora
is under way. The woods will be re-
stocked with characteristic birds and
| animals and the streams with fish