"Competing Crab Houses" a Popes Creek Travel Page by grandmaR

Things to do • Watch the sunset at Pope’s Creek (Free)

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Looking down the Potomac toward bridge

Up above the Governor Nice bridge AKA the US 301 bridge over the Potomac is Pope's Creek. Now, Pope's Creek is too small to have a Post Office, because about all there is at the end of Pope's Creek Road are two crab houses and some docks. The mail address is Newburg.

Pope’s Creek has a long and varied history. John Wilkes Booth crossed the Potomac River at Pope’s Creek during his escape after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln. There is a historical roadsign sign about this on Pope's Creek Road.

A railroad line and a power plant were once in operation here.

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Steamed Blue crabs at Robertsons

Back in the days of mail boats and locomotives, when electricity was new to Pope’s Creek and work was just beginning on the Potomac River Bridge, 9-year old Billy Robertson sold his first crabs on this very shore. Today, the two crab houses (Captain Billy's and Robertson's) along the shores of Pope’s Creek are still the most popular in the region.

I don't remember the whole story, but I think it involved Billy Robertson starting Captain Billy's and then thinking that he'd had enough of the business selling it to his son-in-law. But retirement didn't suit him. He didn't have enough money to buy out his SIL, so he started Robertson's next door in competition. On the receipt it says "52 years of Seafood Business"

On Pope's Creek Road just before the end is the Loyola-on-the-Potomac Retreat House. In 1958, Charles County’s Tercentenary Year, the Catholic hierarchy decided to erect the Retreat House as a birthday present to the county.