Tridelphia Lake In May

This sun-dappled vision of a perfect spring morning includes a peaceful view of Tridelphia Lake, located on the border of Montgomery and Howard Counties, Maryland, USA. This lovely area is part of the Brighton Azalea Gardens, owned and maintained by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which opens its gates to visitors each spring. At its very best right around Mother’s Day when the magnificent azaleas are in bloom, a visit here is a treat for the eyes and the soul. Beautifully laid out paths and seating areas invite quiet moments of enjoyment and reflection. I must send my congratulations to the people at WSSC for the truly excellent job of weeding, clearing and re-planting many areas which in previous years I noticed had been looking a bit sparse and neglected. Looks great now!!

Tridelphia Lake actually has a fascinating history. Beneath its waters lies a once-thriving mill town, named Tridelphia (three brothers) for the three brothers who founded it.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about it:

“The reservoir is located on a land grant surveyed by Benjamin Gaither in 1725. It was named after the town of Triadelphia which was founded in 1809 by three Quaker brothers-in-law. Isaac Briggs, Thomas Moore, and Revolutionary veteran and silversmith Caleb Bentley built a small town on 276 acres of land with nine houses, sawmill, general store, grist mill, and a mill race. The property was expanded to 515 acres containing the land grant “Benjamin’s Lot” and “What’s Left”. The Triadelphia Cotton Factory (Montgomery Manufacturing Company) managed by Allen Bowie Davis operated 196 spindles from its waterwheel and grew to several dozen buildings by 1850 including Mt.Carmel Methodist Church and a schoolhouse. In 1868 a flood washed away a portion of the city and a second flood destroyed most of the remainder. The Triadelphia Turnpike company operated a toll road from Triadelphia, to Glenelg to the Baltimore-Frederick Turnpike, now labeled Triadelphia road. By 1905 the town was mostly abandoned. The Ligon family purchased the land using it for storage and tenants until it went underwater with the construction of the reservoir.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triadelphia_Reservoir

The original photographic image was taken with the Nikon D750 and the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. I digitally hand painted it in Corel Painter 2015, with the guidance and the wonderful brushes of the very talented Karen Burns of Photo Paint Works, and included one of her textures.

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Thanks so much for dropping by!  As always, a quick click on the image will take you to my main web page where you’ll get a much larger image with better resolution and less intrusive watermark.  And, of course, purchase options!  ; ))