Laid out in 1727 in Stafford County at the falls of the Rappahannock, across the river from the city of Fredericksburg, Falmouth was a prosperous port and regional trading center until 1850, when dwindling river traffic and the construction of the railroad sapped its commercial life. Although modern intrusions have replaced much of the Falmouth Historic District’s early fabric, enough buildings remain from its period of ascendancy to invoke Falmouth’s early history. Along the waterfront are Basil Gordon’s brick warehouse and an adjacent large commercial building of the early 19th century. Nearby, on Cambridge Street, is the tiny Federal-period customs house, one of the nation’s smallest. Scattered through the Falmouth Historic District is a variety of early residences including some rare examples of vernacular worker housing. The façade of the Federal-period Union Church has been preserved as a landmark. Also in the Falmouth Historic District, on the heights overlooking the town, are the 18th-century houses Carlton, Clearview, and Belmont.