Matildaville, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matildaville, Virginia
|
|
|---|---|
|
Former town
|
|
 Matildaville, Virginia
Location in Northern Virginia
Matildaville, Virginia
Location in Virginia
Matildaville, Virginia
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Fairfax |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
Matildaville is a ghost town in Virginia, near a place called Great Falls. It's located right next to the Patowmack Canal. This town was named after the wife of a famous person named Light Horse Harry Lee. It was built on 40 acres of land that belonged to Bryan Fairfax, 8th Lord Fairfax of Cameron. From 1785 to 1799, Matildaville was the main office for the Patowmack Company. Today, you can only see the old ruins of Matildaville within Great Falls Park.
Contents
The Story of Matildaville
The Patowmack Company was formed in 1785. Both Maryland and Virginia's governments gave it permission to operate. George Washington was the company's first president. He also owned 50 shares of its stock.
Building the Town
However, the state of Virginia did not officially approve Matildaville until 1790. The first people in charge of the town were George Gilpin, Albert Russell, Josiah Clapham, Richard Bland Lee, Leven Powell, and Samuel Love. Matildaville started as a place to organize and manage the building of the canal.
At its busiest, the town had many buildings. These included the home of the Patowmack Canal Company's manager. There was also a market, a mill for grinding grain, and a sawmill. The town had a metal foundry, an inn, and an ice house. Workers lived in barracks and boarding houses. Other homes were also built there. Boatmen and passengers would stop in Matildaville. They waited their turn to go through the canal's locks.
The Canal's Challenges
Building the canal was a big dream for George Washington. He wanted to open up the Ohio River Valley for trade and travel. Sadly, he passed away two years before the first part of the canal was finished.
In 1802, the Patowmack Company completed five canals and locks. These included the Patowmack Canal itself. These canals allowed flat-bottomed boats to get around the falls of the Potomac River. By 1807, the company collected $15,000 in tolls from boats.
However, building the canal cost much more money than expected. It never made enough money to be a financial success. In 1821, a group from Virginia and Maryland suggested closing the company. Instead, it joined with a new company. This was the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company in 1828.
A New Plan for the Town
In 1839, a company called Great Falls Manufacturing tried to restart the town. They wanted to make it a center for making cloth. They hoped it would be like the successful town of Lowell, Massachusetts. This company bought the Patowmack Canal land at Great Falls. They also bought several town lots. In 1839, the town was given a new official name: South Lowell.
However, in 1853, the U.S. government needed land for an aqueduct. An aqueduct is a structure that carries water. In 1858, the government went to court to close the mills. The people who owned shares in the company and the state of Virginia fought this for 40 years. By then, the Civil War had ended. The manufacturing business had already closed down a long time ago.
Taverns and Visitors
Tourists and local fishermen often visited Great Falls. They would eat and stay at one of Matildaville's taverns. Dickey's Tavern was built around c. 1797. It claimed to have hosted every U.S. President. This included leaders from George Washington to Theodore Roosevelt. Dickey's Tavern was the last building left in Matildaville. But a fire destroyed it in 1950.
