Thomas Lee patented land in this area in 1719. Here at the head of navigation of the Potomac River, he established an official tobacco inspection warehouse in 1742, the beginning of Arlington's first industrial complex. After 1794, Philip Richard Fendall and Lewis Hipkins, then owners of 200 acres in the Pimmit Run region built a grist mill, brewery, distillery, cooper and blacksmith shops, and other structures. After 1815, a cloth mill, woolen factory, and paper mill were established along the run, later to be abandoned. In the 1890s the Columbia Light and Power Company used Pimmit Run to generate electricity. Stone from nearby quarries was loaded on scows moored to the iron ring that can still be seen embedded in the rocks below.
Comments 0 comments