Interactive Maps
Mount Vernon to Anacostia River
Search Potomac Sites
Also Explore
| The Hudson River Guide | The Delaware River Guide |
| The Connecticut River Guide | |
Luke Mill
Maryland Historic Site
The industrial site at Luke Mill, currently being redeveloped, has a long and storied history. The town of Luke is named for William Luke, who founded the company in 1888 on 50 acres along the Potomac. The plant and company grew to eventually became the MeadWestvaco Corp. In 2005 the plant and other papermaking facilities were sold to an investment firm, which created NewPage Corporation in 2006. The huge mill operation covered the corner of three counties and two states and employed as many as 800 workers.. The plant manufactured more than 500 tons of high quality coated white printing paper each day.
The mill supported the local economy of Western Maryland, especially the "Tri Towns" of Luke, Piedmont, and Westernport. The mill had a significant effect on the local environment, and although the company contributed several hundred million dollars for upgrades to the plant to improve efficiency, it was eventually closed. The corporate owner, Verso Corpoation, filed for bankruptcy in January 2016. The plant formally closed in June 2019.
Despite the closing of the plant, the site continued to have environmental problems, leading to a lawsuit filed by the Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2020. The lawsuits were settled in 2021 when Verso agreed to a cleanup plan for the site.
Demolition of the old plant began in 2024, and continues. In the meantime, the water quality in the North Branch continues to improve, leading the State of Maryland to propose designating a 20-mile stretch of the river from upstream of Luke to near Cumberland as a "cold water refuge" for restoration of a trout fishery.
Suggested Links
Contact Information
Verso Corporation
300 Pratt Street
Luke MD 21540
301-359-3311
Website