Occoquan Historic District

Occoquan is a small river town in Prince William County, Virginia, whose historic core covers sixty structures on the north bank of the Occoquan River. Most are two-story frame houses and shops from the late 19th century, often with German siding and decorative porches, while the oldest buildings are of stone or brick. Commercial buildings along Mill Street mostly date from after a fire in 1916. The town began around tobacco warehouses of the 1730s and grew under John Ballendine, who built an iron furnace, forge and sawmills before 1759. After the Revolution it became a prosperous flour-milling center, and its mill used the inventions of Oliver Evans before burning in 1924. Surviving older landmarks include Rockledge, a Georgian stone house of about 1760 that was gutted by fire in 1980, the stone Mill House, and the Hammill Hotel of about 1830. Today many buildings house shops and restaurants that draw visitors from the Washington area.