“Old Mr. Flint's” Home

Washington County, MD

Marker Text: George Washington’s diary (while he visited Berkley Springs in 1769) states: “Aug. 30 Old Mr. Flint dined with us” and on Sept. 4: “Rid to the Potomac where my horses were. From thence to Mr. Flint’s and to the Pennsylvania Line, and returned to dinner.”

Location: Marker is west of Hancock, Maryland, in Washington County on Western Pike (Maryland Route 411), up the hill from the home mentioned on the marker. Erected by the State Roads Commission.

  I have always been interested in any marker related to George Washington, since I was a kid when my parents would take us on vacations. I just felt like I was a part of history when I could stand, where George Washington once stood. This marker on Route 144 west of Hancock, Maryland is an example of a simple marker stating that George Washington was here in 1769 and had dinner with a man called “Old Mr. Flint.”

Photo taken looking east on Route 144.  The home is located down the hill to the left.  Click any photo to enlarge.

  George Washington owned property in Bath, VA south of here, now called Berkeley Springs, WV and he frequently visited this area of Maryland and Virginia along the Potomac River. According to Washington's journal, he first visited this area when he was 15 years old while learning the surveying trade when he first came to Winchester, VA.

George Washington dined at The Dutchman

Frederick County, MD

George Washington
on his way to Frederick
Friday, August 5, 1785
Dined in a building on this site known as
The Dutchman's
One mile south of here is
Noland's Ferry frequently used by Washington on his travels.

Erected by William J. Grove, Lime Kiln, MD. 1932

Location: On Maryland Route 28 (Tuscarora Road) west of Maryland Route 85 (Buckeystown Pike) Near Tuscarora, Maryland, in Frederick County. About a mile north of the Potomac River.

  Traveling through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia or West Virginia, the visitor will come across many markers both state markers and smaller markers and plaques telling the visitor that George Washington did something at this location. When I was younger taking vacations with my parents, we would generally include visiting historical sites combined with visiting relatives.

  Since my early years with my limited range of understanding of history, I found myself drawn to any marker related to any particular person I had learned about in school, such as, George Washington. I was fascinated by the the fact that I might be now standing at a place where George Washington once stood. I believe these early experiences that developed my interest in American history.

First Toll Gate House

Allegany County, MD

Marker Text:  First Toll Gate House on the Old National (Cumberland) Road. Erected about 1833 after this portion of the road was turned over to the state of Maryland by the United States Government. There was one other toll gate in Maryland on this road.

Location: National Highway (U.S. Route 40) about six miles west of Cumberland, MD on the left when traveling west in the village of LaVale.  Erected by the State Roads Commission.

Photo, to left, is the marker as it appears looking east on Route 40 toward Cumberland, MD. Click any photo to enlarge.

  The only remaining toll house in Maryland along the Historic National Road Scenic Byway is located in LaVale. The restored Toll House has an original sign listing the prices charged for heads of cattle, hogs, and the like, commonly driven to market along the Pike.

  Allegany County, Maryland 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.

National Road (Called the Cumberland Road)

Allegany County, MD

Marker Text: Was the first of the internal improvements undertaken by the U.S. Government. Surveys were authorized in 1806 over the route of “Braddock’s Road,” which followed “Nemacolin’s Path,” an Indian trail, over which George Washington traveled in 1754 to Fort LeBoeuf.

Location:  West of Cumberland, Maryland on U.S. Route 40 (National Highway) between Mary Court and Grant Drive on the south side of the street across from the Allegany Co. Library. Erected by the State Roads Commission.

The National Road had many different lives even before it became the National Road.

• The first use of the route was as a Native American trail called “Nemacolin's Path.”

• British General Braddock used this same route and widened it for wagons and it was then called “Braddock's Road”.

• In 1806, the federal government used Braddock's Road to construct a wider road known as the “Cumberland Road” or “The National Road.”

• In the 1920's the old National Road was widened again and straighten in many sections to became today's U.S. Route 40.

Castleman's River Bridge (Formerly “Little Youghiogeny”)

Garrett County, MD

Marker Text: Erected 1813 by David Shriver, Jr., Sup't of the "Cumberland Road" (The National Road). This 80 foot span was the largest stone arch in America at the time. It was continuously used from 1813 to 1933.

Location: Marker is east of Grantsville, Maryland, in Garrett County. Marker is on Casselman Road near The National Pike (U.S. 40). Casselman Road was the original alignment of the National Road leading to the bridge. It stops at the east end of the bridge where the marker can be found. Erected by State Roads Commission. Marker has different text on each side, title and text for reverse side is as follows:  (There is an identical marker on the other end of the bridge.)

“The Little Crossings”  (of the Little Youghiogeny River now Called Castleman's River)

Marker Text: The "Little Crossings" of the Little Youghiogeny River, now called Castleman's River). So called by George Washington when he crossed on June 19, 1755, with General Edward Braddock on the ill-fated expedition to Fort Duquesne (Pittsburgh).

   During my travels I have come across bridges similar to this bridge and until I started to look for them did I realize how many of these old bridges exist throughout the U.S. Most of these bridges are no longer used and therefore are historic relics of our past that lie off the main roads many overgrown and forgotten near the newer bridges that replaced them. When the leaves are off the trees you can see this bridge from Interstate 68 when you drive on the east side of Grantsville, MD. I have seen it while traveling in the west bound lane of the interstate, of course, it is easily seen from Alternate U.S. Route 40.