POINT OF ROCKS, MARYLAND

'Point of Rocks' is in Frederick County, Maryland. It is named for the striking rock formation it sits on top of, which is only visible from boats on the Potomac River, or from the southern bank of the river in Virginia. The rock formations are exposed by the river cutting through the ridge in a water gap, a typical formation in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians.
Point of Rocks hosts a bridge over the Potomac River into Virginia on US-15. The next bridge crossing downstream is in Montgomery County at The American Legion Bridge on I-495. The only other crossing between them is White's Ferry.
At one point, the narrow passage between the rocks at this site provoked a violent legal battle between the C&O Canal Company and the B&O Railroad over who could have control of the narrow pass. After years of disputes, both companies were allowed to build through the passage, with a wall between the two to avoid scaring the mules pulling the canal boats.

'Point of Rocks' is a stop on the MARC Brunswick Line. The station, designed by E. Francis Baldwin, was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and completed in 1876. Marking the junction between the current main line and the Old Main Line, it remains one of the B&O's signature landmarks, and is a popular subject of railroad photography.
Duke Energy applied to construct a power plant on the north edge of town. In November 2002, however, Duke officially cancelled its proposal, though it retains property in the area.

Contents

Flooding

External links

Flooding

Older portions of the town are on the Potomac River flood plain and have been repeatedly inundated. An ongoing FEMA program to reduce flood insurance payouts has resulted in the purchase and demolition of a large portion of the lowest-lying properties.

External links

★ Point of Rocks Community community website

★ Point Of Rocks Against Power Plants website of power plant opposition

★