Historic National Road - Maryland
a day / 179 miles / 5 hours 58 minutes
The Historic National Road stands for adventure, freedom and exploration. A ribbon of roadway from the Chesapeake Bay to the mighty Allegheny Mountains, it is the road that built the nation. Today, you can experience more than 300 years of American culture, including inns, tollhouses, taverns, theaters, parks, and shops along the byway.
Day 1
9:00 - 10.5 miles / 20 minutes - 9:20
Before the American Revolution, three Quaker brothers moved from
Pennsylvania to build the first of their two flour mills on the
Patapsco River. John, Joseph, and Andrew Ellicott established
Ellicott's Mills in 1772. To ensure that they had wheat for their
mills and flour to market, the Ellicotts then either built or
financed a network of farm roads that ultimately became the
Baltimore to Frederick Turnpike, which eventually became the
Historic National Pike. Ellicott City grew to be the largest flour
milling center in the colonies, and the turnpike saw a heavy flow
of wagon and coach traffic.
In 1830, the B&O Railroad built "The Old Main Line," which
extended from Baltimore City to the rugged mill town, and
constructed the first railroad station in the Nation. In the summer
of 1830, the famous steam locomotive, the Tom Thumb, made its debut
on the 13 mile run from Baltimore to Ellicott City. On Main Street,
opposite the depot, is the former Patapsco Hotel, a popular lodging
place in the town’s heyday. The coming of the railroad did
not stop the town’s decline as the Ellicotts’ mills
succumbed to western competition.
Today, this town of stone and brick buildings, narrow streets,
and steep granite cliffs attracts modern travelers lured by the
town’s history, its rugged charm, and a host of antique and
specialty shops and unique restaurants. One such is the Trolley
Stop, which has been serving the traveling public since the
1800s.
The Ellicott City B&O Railroad Station museum interprets the
role of the railroad to visitors. Today, the town is a destination
unto itself for antique collectors and flea market aficionados. The
town also offers historic sites, restaurants, walking trails and
shopping. A visitor center provides local tourist information. The
town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.11:20 - 28.9 miles / 57 minutes - 12:18
Founded in 1793, New Market became a popular stopover town for travelers in need of food, lodging, and services during the Heyday of the National Pike. The town was home to eight drovers barns and pens in the back for livestock on their way to Baltimore markets. Today the picturesque town contains specialty and antique shops, bricked sidewalks, numerous restaurants, and bed & breakfast inns. New Market is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
13:18 - 7.8 miles / 15 minutes - 13:34
The Barbara Fritchie House preserves the personal effects and memory of Barbara Fritchie, the 95-year-old Civil-War-era patriot and star of John Greenleaf Whittier's poem about Stonewall Jackson's march through Frederick, Maryland.
13:34 - 1.8 miles / 3 minutes - 13:37
South Mountain is rich in both history and landscape. U.S. 40 climbs the mountain through Turner's Gap, passing several early
farmsteads. Near this gap, important Civil War actions occurred
days before the Battle of Antietam in 1862. On top of South
Mountain, the historic South Mountain Inn still greets hungry
travelers. Across the road is the historic Dahlgren Chapel
(private). Washington Monument State Park, located 0.3 miles to the
north, boasts the nation's first monument to George Washington,
erected by the citizens of Boonsboro in 1827. The park also
provides a magnificent scenic overlook just minutes from U.S. 40.
Recreation features include picnic shelters and playing fields, as
well as excellent bird watching opportunities for the wildlife
enthusiast.13:37 - 34.4 miles / an hour 8 minutes - 14:46
In between the hamlet of Wilson and the town of Clear Spring,
many farmsteads dating from the mid-19th and early 20ths century
are visible from the Byway. Their plowed fields and rolling
pastureland create an especially scenic series of views for the
traveler. Several historic farmsteads dating from the mid to late
1800’s can be seen from the road. The architecture enthusiast
will notice interesting barn designs that reveal the vernacular
building traditions of the immigrants and their descendants who
settled in this region.15:46 - 22.3 miles / 44 minutes - 16:31
Western Maryland Station Center
The Western Maryland Station Center, home of the Western
Maryland Scenic Railroad, C&O Canal National Park
Visitor’s Center, and the Allegany County Visitor's
Information Center, provides ample parking and information about
Cumberland.
From the depot, you can ride the Scenic Western Maryland
Railroad aboard a train pulled by a 1916 Baldwin Steam Locomotive.
The train climbs 1,300-feet through the mountains from Cumberland
to Frostburg. The C&O Canal National Park Visitor Center and
C&O Canal Place provide information on canal life in the
Cumberland area and celebrate the city’s unique
transportation heritage.16:51 - 36.4 miles / an hour 12 minutes - 18:03
The only remaining toll house in Maryland along the Historic
National Road Scenic Byway is located in LaVale. The Toll House,
restored and open to the public, sports an original sign listing
the prices charged for heads of cattle, hogs, and the like,
commonly driven to market along the Pike. Allegany County has
recently installed a park with covered pavilions and restrooms at
the site, and parking is available. The old toll gates can be
viewed, as well as a remnant section of the National Road. The
LaVale Toll House is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places.18:18 - 3.7 miles / 7 minutes - 18:26
Tomlinson's Inn at Little Meadows
Built in 1816 at Little Meadows by a veteran of the
Revolutionary War, Jesse Tomlinson’s inn catered to travelers
along the new National Road, and hosted Presidents-elect James K.
Polk and William Henry Harrison. Now a private residence, the
striking stone house is located at Little Meadows. As a state
marker indicates, the scenic meadows were the site of General
Braddock’s 4th camp on his march to Fort Duquesne in western
Pennsylvania, July 15, 1755.18:41 - 33.6 miles / an hour 7 minutes - 19:48