The King's Highway ~ The Potomac Path

The King's Highway ~ The Potomac Path (HM2P2)

Location: Quantico, VA 22134 Prince William County
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Country: United States of America
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N 38° 32.71', W 77° 20.537'

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Inscription
The King's Highway was the first north-south route through Virginia. The road began in Boston and ended in Williamsburg. It may have followed one or more trails that American Indians used before European colonization.

The route was first cleared on land south of what became Prince William County during the 17th century. Then known as the Potomac Path, the route passed through Dumfries after it crossed the Occoquan River at Colchester.

Road Maintenance

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Virginia law required landowners to annually contribute time to road maintenance. Slaves and tenants largely maintained the King's Highway in Prince William County.

Sections of the King's Highway were paved in the 1920s and incorporated into U.S. Route 1. Route 1 loosely follows the Potomac Path through Prince William County. Segments of the colonial road are now protected.

Traveling Armies

In 1781, Generals George Washington and Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau used the King's Highway to reach Yorktown with their cavalry and wagons. Eighty years later, Federal and Confederate troops followed the road during numerous Civil War campaigns.
Details
HM NumberHM2P2
Series This marker is part of the The Washington-Rochambeau Route series
Tags
Year Placed2007
Placed ByThe National Museum of the Marine Corps and Prince William County
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Friday, September 5th, 2014 at 12:54am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 295872 N 4268905
Decimal Degrees38.54516667, -77.34228333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 38° 32.71', W 77° 20.537'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds38° 32' 42.60" N, 77° 20' 32.22" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)703
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Quantico VA 22134, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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