Arlington Author Mines Local History for Inspiration

A place so many simply glanced over was a source of inspiration for Arlington author Garrett Peck.

The site, where the red sandstone on the outside of the Smithsonian Castle originated, was the source for Peck's latest book, "The Smithsonian Castle and the Seneca Quarry," which was released in February.

The quarry is located in Montgomery County, Md.

“The Seneca Quarry was one site along the Potomac that does not have a single sign for it, nobody knows it’s there,” Peck told Patch. “The more I started researching about it, the more I was attracted to the site."

• Garrett Peck: Uncovering the Seneca Quarry (HuffPost DC)

Peck discovered the topic for his latest piece after writing his previous book, "The Potomac River: A History and Guide."

Peck first realized his love for the Washington area during his undergraduate years. He left to join the Army and returned 19 years later to Arlington.

The author’s goal is to produce a historical book every year and a half, and he has met that goal so far with his four published works.

His passion for history and writing aside, Peck also maintains a daytime job at a large telecom company. He spends much of his free time marketing his books. That includes speaking and signing events, along with leading walking tours through Washington-area speakeasies and the Seneca Quarry.

“It is very time consuming,” Peck said. The work is research-intensive and requires hours of sifting through historical archives.

“It’s a huge amount of work, but when you’ve done your best and turned in a great piece of literature, it’s satisfying,” he said.

The author’s upcoming events include a book-signing at the Literary Hill BookFest at Eastern Market, which is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 5. Peck will discuss his work at 12:30 p.m. that day.

Other events can be found on Peck's here.