Potomac Name Might Make Comeback Elsewhere

Potomac, Va., might be making a comeback, albeit 30 miles south of where it once stood.

In response to Tuesday’s column (The Town of Potomac Still Exists!), a Del Ray Patch reader passed on a March report from Potomac Local News about efforts to give the areas surrounding Dumfries, Va., the name “Potomac.”

The name is the suggestion of Prince William Potomac District Supervisor Maureen Caddigan, who is working with U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly on the project. The developer of a 4,000-home community near Triangle and Southbridge expressed a desire to brand the area to promote their project.

“The developer wanted the area to be known as Potomac Shores, Va., but considering the history of the area, I didn’t think that would be the best plan,” Caddigan told Potomac Local News. “So we opted for the name Potomac.”

If approved, the ZIP codes of 22026 (excluding Dumfries), 22172 (Triangle), 22025 (Montclair) and 20112 (Ashland) would fall under the Potomac moniker.

The Town of Potomac was incorporated in 1908 in the area that constitutes much of modern day Del Ray. Alexandria annexed the hamlet on New Year’s Day 1930, bringing Potomac's days to an end. A Town of Potomac Historic District was created in 1992.

The U.S. Postal Service still honors Potomac, Va., as an alternate address for Del Ray’s 22301 ZIP code.

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