|  | | | The Town of Bladensburg is a residential suburb of Washington, D.C., on the Anacostia River. Originally called Garrison’s Landing, it was renamed in honor of Thomas Bladen, governor of Md. 1742–1747. The defeat (August 24, 1814) here of American troops under Gen. W. H. Winder enabled the British under General Robert Ross to march on Washington, D.C., and burn many of the public buildings. Despite the outlawing of dueling four years before, the Town was also the scene of the historic duel in which Stephen Decatur, the naval hero, was mortally wounded in 1820 by James Barron. Bladensburg was a busy port, shipping out flour and tobacco, until the river silted up by 1800. It is the site of Bostwick (c.1747) and Indian Queen Tavern, also known as George Washington House (c.1732). The Town was home of William Wirt, anti-Masonic candidate for president in 1832. Chartered 1742, Incorporated 1854 (Chapter 137, Acts of 1854). |
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| | | Evergreen Cemetery | The First Balloon Ascension | The Battle of Bladensburg | Original Town Plan of 1742 | The Port O' Bladensburg | The Spa Springs | Astrodon johnstoni Dinosaur Tooth Found Near Bladensburg | | Evergreen Cemetery The Evergreen Cemetery, located near the intersection of 52nd and Newton Streets, was once called the Presbyterian Cemetery. It was deeded to adherents of the faith by Archibald Edmonston on August 25, 1725. Back to Historical Places 
| | The First Balloon Ascension On Friday, June 19, 1784, at about 3:00 in the afternoon, in the town of Bladensburg, Peter Carnes presented the first exhibition of the ascension of his Aerostatic Balloon. The Balloon that Carnes had constructed measured 35 feet in diameter and was estimated to have been 30 feet high. It was “made of silk of various colours, with a cilindrical [sic] stove of iron suspended at the bottom, by which the internal air was rarified.” The Bladensburg exhibition was just five days before the grand feat occurred in Baltimore. Back to Historical Places | | The Battle of Bladensburg In July, 1814, after the British fleet had been in control of the Chesapeake Bay for more then a year, a separate military command was created under Brigadier General William Winder, for the defense of Washington, Maryland, and eastern Virginia. General John Armstrong, the Secretary of War, thought this was more than enough to protect the Capital. On August 20, 1814, over 4,500 seasoned British troops landed at the little town of Benedict on the Patuxent River and marched fifty miles overland bent on destroying the Capitol and other federal buildings. President James Madison sent Secretary of State James Monroe out to reconnoiter, and on August 23rd, Madison received a frightening dispatch from Monroe...”The enemy are in full march to Washington, Have the materials prepared to destroy the bridges, PS - You had better remove the records.” To the later regrets of President Madison and his advisers, Monroe’s reports were ignored. Incorrect deductions were drawn on the fact that the British troops maneuvered to give the Americans the impression that Baltimore was their destination, and General Armstrong could not be convinced that Washington would be the target of the invasion and not Baltimore, an important center of commerce. As a precaution, two bridges across the Anacostia River were destroyed to protect the Capital, thus leaving a route through Bladensburg as the logical approach. General Winder sent troops to Marlborough to intercept the British, but they hurried back when they learned the enemy was already entering Bladensburg. Finally, several regiments of the Maryland Militia were called from Baltimore to defend the Capital. The strongest repulse against the British was made by Commodore Joshua Barney and his almost 600 seasoned Marines and sailors. They were valiant fighters, however, the authorities in Washington “forgot” Barney for several days. Without orders they were tardy arrivals on the field of contest. Had they been supplied with sufficient ammunition and supporting infantry, the course of the battle could have been changed. Even though the Americans numbered about 7,000, they were poorly trained, equipped and deployed. The determined sweep of the British was so strong that a general route began which swept the defenders back to Washington. By four o’clock the battle was over and the Americans were defeated due to delay, indifference and indecision. The British then moved on toward the Capital. By the end of the same day, the Capitol building, the President’s Mansion and many other public buildings were in flames. The following day more buildings were burned. At about noon a tremendous storm of hurricane force descended upon the city halting further destruction. With their mission accomplished, the British feared the Americans would reassemble their forces and attack while they were in the vulnerable position of being a long distance from their fleet. The men were miserable in the 98 degree temperatures. They were tired, ill and wounded. At dusk the troops quietly withdrew from the city. The troops were so exhausted that many died of fatigue on the four day march back to the ships, several deserted, but the body of men marched on. Four days later on August 30th, they re-embarked at Benedict. Three weeks later the British assaulted Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor.
| Back to Historical Places | | The Original Plan of 1742 The General Assembly of Maryland in 1742 passed an act for "laying out and erecting a town on the South Side of the Eastern Branch of the Potowmack [sic] River ... near a place called Garrison- Landing." Sixty one-acre lots were divided up on the property to be sold to those agreeing to build houses on the lot within two years . The town was called Bladensburg reportedly after Thomas Bladen, whose term as provincial governor had begun that same year. Commissioners met on the land and sold the sixty lots, with exception of lots 47, 54 and 56 to different persons, from two shillings six pence to two pounds ten shillings.
| Back to Historical Places | | The Port O’ Bladensburg Forty-six years after the founding of Prince George’s County, a group of leading citizens saw the need for a port to cater to the tobacco growers of the Eastern Branch of the Potomac River. The site chosen to render this service to the area was Bladensburg on the Anacostia River. The mouth of the Anacostia was one mile wide and twenty to forty feet deep, thus making Bladensburg the best protected port in the region and was referred to as “one of the safest and most commodious harbors in America, being sufficiently deep for the largest ships for about four miles above its mouth.” Thus, the Town of Bladensburg was established in 1742. At the time of the American Revolution, Annapolis was the political capital of the Maryland province, Upper Marlbrough [sic], with this fine legitimate theater, race track and polite society was the social and cultural center, and Bladensburg was said to be the second largest, and fastest growing seaport and commercial center on the whole eastern seaboard. As a bustling seaport, the Port O’ Bladensburg handled in its deep harbor a larger ocean tonnage than any other port in the colonies with the sole exception of Yorktown, Virginia. Great English and Scotch factors maintained their own local representatives: shipyards and “roper walks” clustered dockside. Every type of goods that were shipped into America at the time came through this port: tobacco products, ships, slaves, indentured servants, rope, and all shipping goods, tea, medicines, rum, molasses, sugar, coffee, wine, soap, salt, assortments of European and West Indian goods, woolens, saddlery, cutlery, linen, cottons, and the list goes on and on. As late as 1830, oceangoing vessels were able to navigate the Anacostia River all the way to Bladensburg, but rapid accumulation of sediment from agricultural runoff began to clog the harbor. For many years a gallant effort was made to keep the port dredged, however, by 1840 the port had to be closed. As the Anacostia River silted in, the great days of Bladensburg shipping ended. Back to Historical Places | | The Spa Springs Spa Springs, a natural spring, was located on 46th Street, between Upshur Street and Windom Road. Since the early 1800’s the springs were noted for their medicinal properties. The waters were considered “so powerful and salutary as to be of great benefit to all classes of persons.” Doctors concurred in the opinion that these waters be prescribed for their curative powers. People have long sought the good effects of spring and mineral water, and that Bladensburg has such a spring, caused the town to be frequented by those seeking cures. In fact, early in Bladensburg’s history a road had to be built in order to accommodate the traffic. In 1844 the Whigs from Baltimore City, Washington, Georgetown, and the surrounding country “held their festivals at the Spa Spring where the ladies from Baltimore City furnished and served the banquet.” This was so enjoyable that in 1845, the Washington Whigs made arrangements for 5,000 to attend a “Barbecue at Bladensburg” at the Spa Spring Grove. They invited their Baltimore friends who paid 50 cents for the round trip train fare. Now, the spring is capped off and there is a pumping station near their. | Back to Historical Places | The Astrodon johnstoni Dinosaur The dinosaurs of the Potomac Group are the best known, most abundant, and first ones found in the State. In 1859, only about 17 years after the name "dinosaur" had been coined, Philip Tyson, the State Agricultural Chemist, made available to Dr. Christopher Johnston, a local physician, a strange tooth that he had found in a mine "near Bladensburg". | | Astrodon johnstoni | Tooth of Astrodon johnstoni
(after Leidy, 1865) | Nearly 140 years after its discovery as Maryland's first known dinosaur, Astrodon johnstoni has been officially named the Maryland State Dinosaur . In 1998, the Maryland General Assembly passed House Bill 1170 and Senate Bill 520 by wide margins. The designation becomes effective October 1, 1998. In the forefront of efforts to get Astrodon named State Dinosaur was Dr. Peter Kranz, local paleontologist, dinosaur hunter and educator. Back to Historical Places |
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