Editing Poolesville, Maryland (section)

==History==
In 1760, brothers John Poole Sr. and Joseph Poole Sr. purchased {{convert|160|acre|km2 sqmi}} in the area that is now Poolesville. Thirty-three years later, John Poole Jr. used a {{convert|15|acre|km2}} tract that he inherited from his father to build a log store and subdivided the tract, selling portions to a number of other merchants. The settlement grew from there and was incorporated in 1867.<ref>{{cite web | title = A Brief History of Poolesville | publisher = Town of Poolesville - Charles W. Elgin Sr. | url = http://www.ci.poolesville.md.us/history/brief.html | access-date = July 14, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070622114610/http://ci.poolesville.md.us/history/brief.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = June 22, 2007}}</ref>

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Union military leaders realized that the shallow fords of the [[Potomac River]] posed a threat to the [[Washington, D.C.|capital city]]. At certain times of the year, the Potomac River is shallow enough to cross and thus thousands of troops were moved to both [[Darnestown, Maryland|Darnestown]] and Poolesville. The Corps of Observation was established just outside Poolesville and soldiers were stationed near the river to monitor potential [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] incursions into Maryland. During the winter of 1861–1862, it is estimated that 20,000 Union troops were stationed in or around the town. There were no battles fought in Poolesville; however, the infamous [[Battle of Ball's Bluff]] was fought nearby on October 21, 1861. Hundreds of Union soldiers who were stationed in Poolesville were killed in this battle that was badly managed by inexperienced Union generals.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=James A. III|title=A Little Short of Boats: The Battle of Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 21-22, 1861|year=2011|publisher=Savas Beatie|location=El Dorado Hills, CA|isbn=978-1-61121-066-8}}</ref>

There were several Confederate raids into the town during the war, and the Confederate Army invaded Maryland by crossing the Potomac near Poolesville in 1862 and 1864. The old Poolesville Methodist Church cemetery contains the remains of approximately twenty soldiers who either were killed in action at Ball's Bluff or who died of illness while in camp.<ref>''A Little Short of Boats: The Fights at Ball's Bluff and Edwards Ferry, October 21–22, 1861. A History and Tour Guide'' {{ISBN|978-0-961-84940-5}} p. 63</ref>

The [[Seneca, Maryland|Seneca Schoolhouse]], a small one-room schoolhouse of red sandstone, was built in Poolesville in 1866 to educate the children of the stone cutters who worked at the [[Seneca Quarry]]. Operating as the Seneca Schoolhouse Museum, it provides tours to schoolchildren so that they can experience a typical school day as it would have been on March 13, 1880.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Kids Live History At One-Room Seneca Schoolhouse In Maryland|url = http://wamu.org/programs/metro_connection/15/03/20/kids_live_history_at_one_room_seneca_schoolhouse_in_maryland|website = WAMU 88.5|access-date = October 12, 2015|date = March 20, 2015|last = Sheir|first = Rebecca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Seneca Schoolhouse|url = http://www.historicmedley.org/visit/seneca-schoolhouse/|website = Historic Medley District, Preserving the Historic Heritage of Western Montgomery County, Maryland|access-date = October 12, 2015}}</ref>

The [[Kunzang Palyul Choling]] Buddhist temple opened in Poolesville in 1985.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Donors save Poolesville Buddhist temple|url = http://www.gazette.net/stories/06092010/poolnew190921_32552.php|website = Gazette.net, Maryland Newspapers Online|access-date = October 12, 2015|last = Tierney|first = Meghan|date = June 9, 2010}}</ref>

The [[Poolesville Historic District]] was listed in 1975 on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref>

In December 2020, [[White's Ferry]], a ferry service west of the town across the Potomac River that a number of citizens have depended on for their livelihoods, ceased service due to a legal conflict between the ferry and [[Rockland (Leesburg, Virginia)|Rockland Farm]] over ownership of land on the banks of the river.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 28, 2020 |title=Historic White's Ferry, the last remaining ferry across Potomac River, shuts down service |url=https://wjla.com/news/local/whites-ferry-announces-end-to-service-between-md-va |access-date=December 28, 2020 |work=WJLA}}</ref> As of April 2024, the ferry has not yet reopened due to the legal conflict, though the owners have offered to donate the ferry to the Montgomery County government.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-04-17 |title=Owners offer to donate White's Ferry to Montgomery County in hopes of restarting operations |url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/owners-offer-to-donate-whites-ferry-to-montgomery-county-in-hopes-of-restarting-operations/3594262/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417065331/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/owners-offer-to-donate-whites-ferry-to-montgomery-county-in-hopes-of-restarting-operations/3594262/ |archive-date=2024-04-17 |access-date=2024-06-01 |work=NBC Washington}}</ref>