Point of Rocks appeals to history buffs, outdoor fans, commuters

“The proportion, detailing, and color of the Point of Rocks Railroad Station is unusually sophisticated for its rural setting and ranks with the most outstanding work of the Victorian Gothic Rival,” according to its statement of significance when it was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

More than 50 years later, it became a new source of community pride. The former Baltimore & Ohio station got its own forever postage stamp, part of a railroad series released by the U.S. Postal Service in March.

Today, Point of Rocks’s location remains strategically relevant for residents who want small-town living and outdoor recreation with commuting options. A major stop on MARC’s Brunswick Line to Washington’s Union Station, the Point of Rocks station has more than 500 parking spaces for rail commuters. The big town conveniences of Frederick, Md., and Leesburg, Va., are each less than 15 miles away on Highway 15.

“Great commuter location, access to outdoor activities,” said Betsy Cain of Mackintosh Realtors in Frederick. “You’ve got the river right there. All kinds of things.”

Point of Rocks embraces its history and its newcomers, said Pamela Lesch, who moved here from Fairfax last July. Like many rural towns in the Mid-Atlantic, the local Ruritan Club drives civic engagement. In Point of Rocks, the club manages the county-owned community center, sponsors events and funds scholarships.

“We moved in. I attended a meeting with the Ruritans to see what they are about,” Lesch said. The connection was immediate. She returned home with her husband drafted as Santa for the club’s holiday breakfast.

Lesch, meanwhile, dived into one of the club’s biggest projects, reviving “Art at the Point,” Point of Rocks’s largest festival, which was suspended in during 2020 due to covid. The Sept. 30 event, which features musicians, artists and food vendors, will fill the Community Commons Park, next to the train station.

“It’s been essentially one of our big ways to fundraise for scholarships for our town. So not having that for the last couple of years has been challenging, but we wanted to bring it back,” she said.

It’s an all-volunteer effort and, in true small-town fashion, when Lesch sought help designing a festival poster, she didn’t need to look far. Soon Point of Rocks resident and graphics designer Marie Boshoff stepped up from right down the street. Boshoff is a neighbor.

When the last chords of Art at the Point fade, the town quietly settles into fall. Access to outdoor activities begin right in town with the C&O Canal Towpath, where families out for a stroll mix with long-haul cyclists tackling the 185-mile route. A boat launch on the Potomac River opens the upper river to anglers.

“I’m constantly out walking, running all times of day and night. … I always feel very safe,” Lesch said, adding with a chuckle, “except for the bears.”

The Potomac is at the heart of the town’s history and the rugged stone outcroppings that overlook the river give the town its name. Here the river provided trade routes first used by Indigenous peoples. By the 1830s, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company each coveted the narrow sliver of land that offered access to the west. By the Civil War, its strategic location attracted Confederate Army raids on trains and canal traffic.

These days, the river crossings are much more benign. On the Virginia side, the acclaimed Restaurant at Patowmack Farm is two miles up Lovettsville Road. In Point of Rocks, Roadhouse Jerk draws in fans of Caribbean fare.

Housing inventory in the community is tight. Just one property — a remodeled 1885 house with six beds and six baths over 6,650 square feet — is available, at $799,900. Over the past year, 19 houses have sold, ranging from $224,000 to $642,500.

Single-family houses dominate the markets, although some townhouses are occasionally available, according to Cain. Older, usually smaller homes in the heart of town sell in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, while larger homes in Canal Run can be found in the $500,000 to $600,000 range. There are no city property taxes, Cain said.

“It’s a great place. Not really out of the way at all,” Cain said. “Affordability is a big factor there.”

Boundaries: The community is unincorporated but the Frederick County Community Area Map recognizes the general boundaries as along Highway 15 on the northwest, Calico Rocks Regional Park on the northeast and the C&O Canal on the south.

Transit: MARC trains make six morning runs to Washington’s Union Station with returning runs in the afternoon and evening. Additional runs, including weekend and non-rush hour weekday service are under consideration. Frederick TransIT operates “Meet The MARC” shuttle buses with one morning run from Frederick and two evening runs to Frederick.

Schools: Valley Elementary School, Ballenger Creek Middle School, Brunswick High School.