National Harbor

The name "National Harbor" in Maryland outside the beltway in Washington, D.C. gives the impression that this place has some historical significance with boats or shipping. In reality, it is a recent and somewhat controversial commercial development. Here is an explanation of the development from Wikipedia:

The land developed for National Harbor was previously Salubria Plantation, built in 1827 by Dr. John H. Bayne. The plantation house burned down in 1981 and was offered for sale along with the surrounding land. The land was sold in 1984 and in 1994 was rezoned for mixed-use development. In the fall of 1997, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Army Corps of Engineers approved new developer permits, granted for the PortAmerica project in 1988. 

This development has caused considerable controversy due to its environmental impacts. The Sierra Club voiced strong objections in 1999 saying that construction of National Harbor would "prevent forever the completion of the Potomac Heritage Trail". The site was linked to hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated sewage being discharged into the Potomac River in 2008. In 2006, Peterson Companies withdrew plans to build a Target department store where the remaining plantation building, the slave quarters, still stand.

The two most prominent structures are the Capital Wheel, a large Ferris wheel, and the MGM Resort Casino both of which are visible from the beltway. For us, the main attraction was the collection of statuary along the main street.

I usually put photos in WalkingArizona but sometimes I insert them into my other blog posts.