Quality of Life
Communities
Williamsport: Population 2,135
Founded
by General Otho Holland Williams, a friend of George Washington,
Williamsport merited consideration as a potential site for our nation's
capital.
According to legend, Washington visited Williamsport in
1790
to study the feasibility of making the town the nation's capital.
The town's location
off the Potomac River's then-unnavigable rapids apparently helped
persuade him to locate elsewhere.
The area has been settled since the late 17th century. The town had several names early in its history. It was officially named Williamsport in 1787.
Williamsport is located at the confluence of the Conococheague Creek
and Potomac River. With the opening of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
in the area in 1834, Williamsport evolved into a thriving waterfront
town, reaping the economic benefits of the Canal until a flood closed
the Canal for good in 1924.