Weems Botts Museum

Specialties

History of Dumfries, VA

History

Established in 1749.

Once a bustling colonial port, Historic Dumfries is the oldest continuously charted town in Virginia. First settled by English colonists in the late 17^th century, the sheltered harbor of Quantico Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River, proved an ideal location for the tobacco trade. The town of Dumfries was formally established on May 11, 1749. The town lots and streets were laid out on land provided by John Graham, who thus had the honor of naming the new town after his birthplace, Dumfrishire, Scotland.

Dumfries grew quickly after its incorporation and by 1763 rivaled the cities of New York, Philadelphia and Boston in the tonnage of goods (mostly tobacco) shipped from its port. The county courthouse and jail were moved to dumfries in the the 1760’s, as was the all important tobacco inspection house.