historic properties
George Washington House
George Washington House
George Washington House
The George Washington House originally known as the Indian Queen Tavern was built in 1732 was a very important hostelry. George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and others stopped there on their journeys to and from Philadelphia. It was one of the oldest taverns in the United States.
Magruder House
George Washington House
George Washington House
The Magruder House was built in 1743 and occupied by Dr. Harvey prior to the Revolution. George Washington would visit Dr Harvey and mentions him in his diary when he speaks of a visit to the “doctor’s house in Bladensburg.” It is built of stone which may have been “ballast stone” from English ships. The entire house has been covered over with a stucco type cement, but no other major structural change has been made since the early days of its existence.
Market Master's House
George Washington House
Battle of Bladensburg Memorial
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The Market Master’s House was built in 1760. It is a small stone house on 48th Street and was the home and office of the official who had charge of the large tobacco market.
Battle of Bladensburg Memorial
Bostwick House (work in progress)
Battle of Bladensburg Memorial
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See "Battle of Bladensburg" Section for more
Bladensburg Waterfront Park
Bostwick House (work in progress)
Bostwick House (work in progress)
See "Bladensburg Waterfront Park" below
Bostwick House (work in progress)
Bostwick House (work in progress)
Bostwick House (work in progress)
See Below for a History of the Bostwick House
George Washington House
George Washington House (Original)
George Washington House (Present Day)
Bostwick House (Work in Progress)
The Bostwick House was built in 1746 and was the home of Christopher Lowndes a wealthy merchant. Benjamin Stoddert the first Secretary of the Navy married Lowndes’ daughter Rebecca and they lived there from 1789 to 1813.
The house has been in the hands of only three families and now owned by the Town of Bladensburg. When Christopher Lowndes died in 1785, the Bostwick House became the property of his daughter, Rebecca, who was married to Benjamin Stoddert who served as the country’s first Secretary of the Navy.
The house was already experiencing structural problems as Stoddert constructed a series of buttresses along the south and west sides of the building. In addition, the Stoddert’s also constructed the separate kitchen building that sits just a few feet from the northeast corner of the house.
Following the deaths of Rebecca in 1802 and Stoddert in 1813, the house was purchased by John Stephen, a lawyer and local judge.
Bostwick remained in the family for many years. After the death of John Stephen in 1844, ownership of the property passed to his son, Nicholas. When Nicholas Stephen died in 1881, his daughter, Julianna Duedionne, became its owner. Julianna’s husband, Jules Duedionne, was an artist and painted the two murals in the large south drawing room.
The Duedionnes, however, lost the property in 1891 when they defaulted on the mortgage.
Bostwick was next purchased by Mr. and Mrs. James H. Kyner in 1904. The Kiner’s made extensive renovations to the property including the addition of the Greek revival front porch as well as the addition of the dormers on the east and west sides of the third story.
They also replaced many of the windows, most particularly the front windows on the first story and the Palladian window in the library. New front and rear entrance doors were also put in place during this renovation. Significant changes were made at this time to the interior as well, most noticeably the new stairway and ornamental wall treatments in the central hall, stairway, and library.
Upon the death of Kyner and his wife, Bostwick was inherited by their daughter, Susanna Kyner Christophane. Mrs. Chirstophane’s daughter, Susanna Yatman, owned the property until she sold it to the town of Bladensburg in the late 1990s.
*All information was taken from Bostwick’s National Register Application dated 1975.
Market Master's House
Market Master's House (Original)
Market Master's House (Present Day)
Bladensburg Waterfront Park
History of Bladensburg Waterfront Park:
In 1742, the town of Bladensburg was created on the banks of the Anacostia River. The river’s depth at that time was approximately 40 feet. This port town was named after Maryland Governor Thomas Bladen. The town was a vibrant commercial port with wharves, taverns and stores. Some of the historic properties still exist: The George Washington House, a tavern during the 1700s and currently the headquarters for the Anacostia Watershed Society; Market Master’s House; Bostwick House; Magruder House; and Free Hope Baptist Church.
The success of Bladensburg as a port town during the 1700s was due largely to Christopher Lowndes—a merchant, and shipyard and ropewalk owner—who was the town commissioner for 40 years.
By the 1800s, the port town began to decline due to flooding and the silting of the river. In the 1850s, tobacco shipping ended when the river became too shallow for seagoing vessels. Flooding remained a problem in Bladensburg until 1954 when the Army Corps of Engineers began a flood control and navigation project. This project involved straightening parts of the river, dredging, and the construction of levees, bridges, pumping stations and highways. In 1996, the old Bladensburg Marina began to be transformed.
The waterfront was redeveloped with a new public boating facility, visitor center, waterfront walkway, historic interpretive panels, a picnic pavilion based on a ropewalk, playground, floating docks and parking. It was re-opened to the public in 2000. In 2005, a pedestrian bridge linking Bladensburg and Colmar Manor was completed, connecting hiker-biker trails on both sides of the river. In October 2016, the Anacostia River Trail opened for hikers and bikers to enjoy, connecting the park and points north to Washington, D.C.