GEORGETOWN, also within the District of Colum bia, was originally laid out under an act of the colo nial assembly of Maryland, passed May 15th, 1751. In 1789, the town was incorporated, and Robert Peter, Esq. appointed first mayor. The corporation is now known by the name of the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen and Common Council of Georgetown.
This town is situated on the eastern bank of the Potomac river, near the head of the tide and the natural navigation of that river, and is separated by Rock creek from Washington, with which there is a ready communication by means of two bridges crossing the creek at two principal streets of Georgetown, and by a pier of the width of 160 feet, recently constructed across the mouth of Rock creek.
The position of the town is remarkably salubri ous, and it has at all times escaped those summer epidemics that have some years prevailed in the adjacent country. It is handsomely situated on a succession of hills, rising gradually from the river and creek, to which all its streets incline, so that every considerable rain thoroughly cleanses them of all impurity.
For some years after the late war a very active business was transacted in the town, and the im provements during this time were very numerous and ornamental. Subsequently, its trade had de clined, and improvement in a great measure was suspended. Within the last two years, however, there has been a considerable increase in trade, and -several valuable buildings have been erected.
Its principal export trade consists of tobacco,flour, leather, soap, candles, beer, Szc. The annual in spection of tobacco varies from 3000 to 5000 hogs heads, and the inspection of flour has increased from 80,000 to 200,000 barrels. There is a considerable foreign trade to Europe, South America, and the West Indies, and an extensive coasting trade.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal passes through the heart of the town, at the level of thirty-seven feet above the river, into an extensive basin formed on Rock creek, the descent to which is by four de tached locks. This town being the highest seaport on the Potomac, and the first reached by the canal in its descent, its situation is peculiarly favourable for enjoying the trade which will be wafted on that great highway. As a large portion of this canal is expected to be finished and open for navigation during the next season, establishing a read; com munication from a rich back country to the basin at Rock creek, a considerable spur to the trade and prosperity of the town may be expected.
The town and its vicinity offers peculiar advan tages for extensive manufactories: the river has a fall nearly forty feet in four miles next above the town, and the canal extending over this space at so great an elevation, affords an ample water power for numerous manufacturing establishments, without obstruction to the navigation.
The public institutions and buildings consist of a Roman Catholic College, incorporated by con gress—beautifully situated at the edge of the town— it is in a very flourishing condition; a society of nuns, incorporated by congress under the name of the "Sisters of the Visitation," who conduct a flour ishing female academy; two Roman Catholic churches, two Protestant Episcopalian, one Pres byterian, one Methodist, one Associated Methodist and one African; two banks, incorporated by congress; and a Lancasterian and several other re spectable schools; immediately above the town is an extensive cannon foundry.
The college has been established for 48 years, and not a single death has taken place among the students. The academy under the direction of the " Sisters of the Visitation" has been established for SO years—only two deaths have taken place among the young ladies. There are at this time sixty young ladies, boarders, and fifteen as day scho lars; within the nunnery enclosure, but detached from the academy, and approached from a differ ent street, there is a large establishment for young girls, who are taught gratuitously. At the Lan casterian school, which was the first institution of the kind established upon Lancaster's plan in the United States, there are about 100 boys in the male, and near the same number of girls in the female department. This institution has been in operation about twenty years, and is supported by the corpo ration under the supervision of a board of trustees incorporated with the name of the " Lancaster School Society of Georgetown;" this is a free school.
The romantic beauty of the situation, and the close connection of this town with Washington, the seat of the general government, its character for healthiness, its well regulated institutions, and its advantages for commerce and manufactures, if judiciously improved and with becoming enterprise, zeal, and industry, will give to it an imposing dis tinction, and offer invitations to capitalists of the most alluring character.