Ridgeley’s history is
mostly unwritten
The public archives hold only 3 old photos of Ridgeley. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.
The story
from WikipediaRead it all ↗The land on which the town is built was originally conveyed from Thomas Lord Fairfax to George Mason in 1749. In 1750, the first frontier fort, Fort Ohio, was built at Ridgeley. It was, at the time, the westernmost outpost of colonial civilization and was most commonly referred to as the "New Store" settlement at the time. The New Store was primarily a trading post created by the Ohio Company which included prominent members including George Mason and Lawrence Washington. Christopher Gist was in charge of construction of "New Store" which was just over what is now the Blue Bridge leading into Ridgeley from Cumberland. The settlement was used as a headquarters for traders and trappers from 1750 and 1763, and also served as a local fort outpost to shelter travelers or workers in the event of an Indian attack. Early Ohio Company residents who worked at the settlement (and who explored th…
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Start Ridgeley’s collection
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Ridgeley’s history is told.
1 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 🔁Retake an old viewC&O Caboose 900332 in Knobmount Y…, 1991: stand where they stood+15 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10Famous people from Ridgeley
See all 2 →Ridgeley, decade by decade
CommonsWestern Maryland Scenic Railroad 5582022
CommonsWMSR 13092022
CommonsWM 1309 Polar Express 20222022
CommonsWestern Maryland Scenic Railroad 4502021
Commons2016-05-05 14 57 10 View east down the North Branch Potomac…2016
Commons2016-05-05 14 56 43 View west up the North Branch Potomac R…2016
CommonsRidgeley West Virginia2007Nothing in Ridgeley is on the National Register yet
That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Ridgeley has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Chapel Hill Historic District in Cumberland, 0.6 miles away.
Ridgeley and the nearest listed places
How a place gets listed
Then & now
When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.
Stories next door
nearby towns’ historyFrom Wikimedia Commons (10). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.