In 1790, Williamsport nearly became the national capital when President George Washington visited the town while searching for the site of the future Federal City, but that did not happen. Decades later, when construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal reached Williamsport in 1834, the town developed into a classic canal town. Many families who worked the canal boats made Williamsport their winter home. At the junction of Conococheague Creek and the Potomac River, Williamsport served as a crossroads for commerce and trade. The town still retains a historic feel from the canal era, with many original structures standing in the Cushwa Basin, including the Railroad Lift Bridge, Lock and Lockhouse 44, Conococheague Aqueduct, Cushwa Warehouse, and Trolley Barn.
