In 1758, when John Ballendine built his dwelling, “Rockledge,” at Occoquan, the town began to prosper. By 1765 it was a flourishing industrial settlement with grist mills, foundry, and tobacco warehouses. “Rockledge” and a portion of Merchants (Grist) Mill still stand at the west end of Mill Street. Occoquan, a strategic point on the river, saw skirmishes during the Civil War. Gen. Wade Hampton headquartered here in 1862 at the Hammill Hotel. The building still stands at the corner of Union and Commerce Streets.