Washington at Lake Drummond, dismal swamp.

Title

Washington at Lake Drummond, dismal swamp.

Description

View shows George Washington with his horse at Lake Drummond in the Great Dismal Swamp, Virginia.

ca. 1880

Artist

Hunt

Historical Description

Dismal Swamp in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina is a coastal swamp about 20 miles long that was once about two thousand square miles in size. Geologically, it is unusual in that it lies higher than the surrounding land and water flows out of it rather than into it. At its center is Lake Drummond, about three miles in diameter, which George Washington calls "the pond." In 1763, George Washington and several partners, including Fielding Lewis and Burwell Bassett, formed a company, "Adventurers for Draining the Dismal Swamp," and the Virginia General Assembly authorized them to build canals and dams on private land without being sued for damages. The purpose of the venture was to harvest timber while the swamp was drained and to farm the land once it was dry. Early builders, including Washington, showed little interest in constructing a canal for navigation between the Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound, a project that did not come to fruition until a generation later. Although George Washington acquired land in the area and participated in financing some drainage work, his interest waned after a time.