Cabin John Regional Park is a regional park that is located in Potomac, MD. It stretches along the northern edge of Montgomery County and it follows Cabin John Creek to the Potomac River. The land for this park was acquired between 1968 and 1987.
The history of Cabin John goes back to 1850 when a 19-year old Englishman named Augustus Chapman settled on 710 acres of land near Rockville Pike which runs through the middle of what is now Cabin John Park. He lived in a log house with his wife Mary Ann Turner who he had met in England when she moved here with her family at the age of 12. Right after they were married they started clearing the ground to plant food crops like corn, wheat, oats, barley, and potatoes. They also raised livestock such as pigs and cows and grew hay for the animals.
In 1853 Chapman bought another 100 acres of land directly across from his homestead. This land was on a hill overlooking Cabin John Creek and he built another log house. Here at this new home, which was called “Viewpoint”, Augustus and his wife Mary Ann were able to sit in their front porch swing and watch the Potomac River below them where cargo ships passed up and down it bringing supplies into Washington DC. In 1861 when the Civil War broke out, Augustus left Viewpoint to fight for the Confederacy while his wife stayed home with her baby daughter Isabelle.