Skip to main content

The National Road - Maryland - US 40A: Middletown and Boonsboro

Image
By
Just west of Frederick, Route 40 splits in two, the old road and the new road.  If you bear left and take US 40A, you will be on the old road.  Alternate Route 40 through Frederick and Washington Counties bridges centuries of American History.  Taverns and towns over 250 years old along with mountain passes that were of strategic importance during the Civil War are found along the 25 plus miles of this "old" road.

Middletown is a small village of nearly 4,000 residents sitting near the base of the South Mountains west of Frederick.  Middletown was in the center of activity during the days before the battle of Antietam.  In 1862, Union and Confederate forces in the early September days leading to Antietam would march along the National Road through the town.  The old National Road crosses South Mountain at Turner's Gap.  It was here that the Battle of South Mountain was waged on September 14, 1862.  The battle, a Union victory, is called the "Prelude to Antietam," which would occur three days later near Sharpsburg.  At Turner's Gap, six cast-iron tablets describe the battle. The tablets were placed along the National Road in 1897.  The tablets were moved to a safer distance from the road in 1987. (1)

The Old South Mountain Inn (Adam Prince)

In addition to being a battle site in the Civil War, there is more history at Turner's Gap.  First, the Appalachian Trail crosses the old National Road here.  Standing nearby is the Old South Mountain Inn. A long-standing structure that first opened in 1732.  Many early-American dignitaries stayed here. One lodger includes Henry Clay, who many consider as the father of the National Road.  The tavern was commandeered by John Brown's militia before their raid on Harpers Ferry.  During the Battle of South Mountain, it served as headquarters for Confederate General D. H. Hill.  Today, the tavern is well known throughout the area for its fine dining and American cuisine. (2)
 
Dahlgren Chapel (Adam Prince)

Across from the tavern and bordered by the Appalachian Trail is Dahlgren Chapel.  The chapel is named for and built by Sarah Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren in 1881.  Mrs. Dahlgren, who was a noted author, purchased what is now the Old South Mountain Inn in 1876.  She would transform it into a private residence.  She built the chapel as a Catholic Church.  Gothic in design, the chapel today can be used for weddings and other occasions. (3) 

The National Road through Boonsboro (Doug Kerr).
Sitting west of Turner's Gap is the town of Boonsboro.  The National Road through Boonsboro has historical significance as a 10-mile section of the road was the first to be built with a macadam surface in 1823.  The process, named for John Loudon McAdam, significantly improved the quality of the National Road. By 1830, 73 miles of the highway had been converted to a macadamized surface. (4)  Boonsboro has the distinct honor of being the first town or city in America to dedicate a monument to George Washington.  It took residents all of one day - July 4, 1827 - to build the tower.  The monument is located off the National Road and is part of Washington Monument State Park.

The Boonsboro Historic District is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and consists of much of Main Street.  Many of the buildings along Main Street (US 40A) date back to the National Road's peak period of 1820-1850.  The historic district has been on the register since 2005.  Additional photos of several of the historic buildings within Boonsboro are below. 


(Doug Kerr - October 2011)
(Doug Kerr - October 2011)
(Doug Kerr - October 2011)

Site Navigation:

Sources & Links:

  • (1) Central Maryland Heritage League Land Trust. "Turner's Gap." May 20, 2006.
  • (2) "A History of the Old South Mountain Inn" http://www.oldsouthmountaininn.com/history.shtml. May 18, 2006.
  • (3) Central Maryland Heritage League Land Trust "The Dahlgren Chapel." May 20, 2006.
  • (4) Federal Highway Administration. "1823 - The First American Macadam Road." May 20, 2006.
  • Brian Polidoro
  • US 40 @ MDRoads.net ---Mike Pruett
  • Town of Boonsboro
  • Town of Middletown
  • Central Maryland Heritage League Land Trust
  • Washington Monument State Park
    • Labels:

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    Old US Route 60/70 through Hell (Chuckwall Valley Road and Ragsdale Road)

    By
    Back in 2016 I explored some of the derelict roadways of the Sonoran Desert of Riverside County which were part of US Route 60/70; Chuckwalla Valley Road and Ragsdale Road. US 60 and US 70 were not part of the original run of US Routes in California.  According to USends.com US 60 was extended into California by 1932.  US 60 doesn't appear on the California State Highway Map until the 1934 edition. USends.com on US 60 endpoints 1934 State Highway Map Conversely US 70 was extended into California by 1934, it first appears on the 1936 State Highway Map. USends.com on US 70 endpoints 1936 State Highway Map When US 60 and US 70 were extended into California they both utilized what was Legislative Route Number 64 from the Arizona State Line west to Coachella Valley.  LRN 64 was part of the 1919 Third State Highway Bond Act routes.  The original definition of LRN 64 routed between Mecca in Blythe and wasn't extended to the Arizona State Line until 1931 acc...
    3 comments
    Read more

    The last 1956-63 era California Sign State Route Spade?

    By
    Along southbound California State Route 170 (the Hollywood Freeway Extension) approaching the Hollywood Freeway/Ventura Freeway interchange a white California State Route 134 Sign State Route Spade can be observed on guide sign.  These white spades were specifically used during the 1956-63 era and have become increasingly rare.  This blog is intended to serve as a brief history of the Sign State Route Spade.  We also ask you as the reader, is this last 1956-63 era Sign State Route Spade or do you know of others?  Part 1; the history of the California Sign State Route Spade Prior to the Sign State Route System, the US Route System and the Auto Trails were the only highways in California signed with reassurance markers.  The creation of the US Route System by the American Association of State Highway Officials during November 1926 brought a system of standardized reassurance shields to major highways in California.  Early efforts to create a Sign State Route ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    Paper Highways; Interstate H-4 through downtown Honolulu

    By
    The Hawaiian Island of O'ahu is home to four Interstate Highways; H-1, H-2, H-3 and H-201.  Had history gone slightly differently during the 1960s a fifth Interstate corridor on O'ahu could have been constructed through downtown Honolulu and the neighborhood of Waikiki.  The proposed corridor of Interstate H-4 can be seen above as it was presented by the Hawaii Department of Transportation during October 1968 .   This page is part of the Gribblenation O'ahu Highways page.  All Gribblenation and Roadwaywiz media related to the highway system of O'ahu can be found at the link below: https://www.gribblenation.org/p/gribblenation-oahu-highways-page.html The history of proposed Interstate H-4 The corridor of Interstate H-4 was conceived as largely following what is now Hawaii Route 92 on Nimitz Highway and Ala Moana Boulevard.   Prior to the Statehood the first signed highways within Hawaii Territory came into existence during World War II.    Dur...
    Post a Comment
    Read more