History of Occoquan, VA

This tiny Virginia town once made iron for George Washington and flour for a growing nation. Occoquan, on the river in Northern Virginia, takes its name from a Dogue word meaning "at the end of the water."^{[3], [4]}

In 1755, John Ballendine established ironworks here. Three years later, Washington ordered three tons of iron from them for Fort Loudoun during the French and Indian War. Occoquan later expanded into flour milling and textile manufacturing. By the 1830s, its flour mill was grinding 150 barrels a day.^{[3], [4]}

The Civil War brought destruction, including the burning of its cotton mill and toll bridge. A major fire devastated much of the town again in 1916. Then, in 1972, Hurricane Agnes sent floodwaters through Mill Street, destroying the town's bridge and dealing another blow to local businesses.^{[3], [4], [2], [5], [6]}

Today, you can walk those same historic streets, visit the old miller's office, and cross the river where generations of industry once depended on its power.^{[1], [4]}