Dumbarton Rock

A video of Dumbarton Rock in Scotland.

In the 1703 Ninian Beall was granted 795 acres on the hill over looking Rock Creek, and the Potomac River. He named this estate the Rock of Dumbarton, presumably because the view of river from this hill reminded him of the view of the Clyde River from Dumbarton Rock, in his native Scotland.

Beall had an adventurous journey from his homeland to what was then Maryland. In Scotland he fought for the Royalist forces against Oliver Cromwell. He fell prisoner to Cromwell's Army in 1650, was sentenced to five years servitude, and shipped to Barbadoes. In 1652 he was then shipped on to Maryland, to finish his sentence. From here he went on to acquire 1,000's of acres, including a large chunk of what is now Washington, DC. Much of the land was granted to him in return for his services fighting the Indians. More Information here

My apartment building stands on ground that was once part of the Rock of Dumbarton Estate. So here is where it all started.