Braddock's Rock, the “key of keys” in mapping and land surveying in Washington, D.C.
Photo by Sierra Dooley
Named because British General Edward Braddock’s expedition up to Pittsburgh, where he was roundly defeated at Fort Duquesne, purportedly launched from this point. Little evidence exists to substantiate this, but what’s more significant is that the rock was used as the “key of keys” or the baseline for early property surveys of Washington, D.C., because it was such a substantial landmark. The rock was eventually hacked away to build many of D.C.’s imposing stone edifices, and what wasn’t quarried was covered as the District filled in marshland and reshaped the banks of the Potomac.
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The Great American Rail-Trail promises an all-new American experience. Through 12 states and the District of Columbia, the trail will directly serve nearly 50 million people within 50 miles of the route. Across the nation—and the world—only the limits of imagination will limit its use.
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