Town Hill Overlook Marker

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Little Orleans in Allegany County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Town Hill Overlook
The Beauty Spot of Maryland

Town Hill Overlook Marker Photo, Click for full size

By Christopher Busta-Peck, July 13, 2007

1. Town Hill Overlook Marker

Inscription. The long, winding ascent of Town Hill reaches a height just beyond that of Sideling Hill, but was much more easily crossed. However, early automobiles were still no match for the steep grades and tight turns along this section of the National Road. At the turn of the twentieth century, it was “practically an uninhabited section-wild and beautiful beyond anticipation, and with a most clear, bracing atmosphere...it seems quite safe to estimate that there may be more bridges than people...”

Imagine a traveler’s delight when one came upon a service area with a gas station, a restaurant offering home cooked meals, and a place to stay. Visitors could see three states and seven counties from this overlook. Surrounded in the 1920s by apple orchards, tourists began to call this area the “Beauty Spot of Maryland.”

The Town Hill Hotel was one of the first to cater to the 20th century “pleasure traveler” along the old National Road. Hotels offering similar services were soon strategically placed on the tops of Sideling Hill, Green Ridge, Polish Mountain, Martins Mountain, Big Savage and Negro Mountains.

Erected by America's Byways.

Marker series. This marker is included in the The Historic National Road marker series.

Location.

View from Town Hill Photo, Click for full size

By Christopher Busta-Peck, October 20, 2007

2. View from Town Hill

Note I-68 and the Sideling Hill cut in the distance.

39° 41.866′ N, 78° 24.056′ W. Marker is in Little Orleans, Maryland, in Allegany County. Marker is on National Pike (U.S. 40), on the left when traveling west. Click for map. This is Wayside 40 on the Historic National Road in Maryland. Marker is at or near this postal address: 31101 National Pike, Little Orleans MD 21766, United States of America.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, as the crow flies. Gettysburg Campaign (approx. 6.5 miles away); Sideling Hill and Town Hill Mountains (approx. 6.5 miles away); Sideling Hill Cut South Bench (approx. 6.5 miles away); Sideling Hill Cut North Bench (approx. 6.5 miles away); The Challenge of Sideling Hill (approx. 6.6 miles away); a different marker also named Gettysburg Campaign (approx. 6.6 miles away); The National Road (approx. 6.6 miles away); “The Warrior’s Path” (approx. 8.7 miles away).

More about this marker. Reproductions of two old postcards on the lower portion of the marker are captioned, "Town Hill Hotel is the only 1920's hotel in this area that is still in business today. Note the old cars, gas pump, and driving warning." The background of the marker is "National Road at Fairview Inn" which is the standard for markers in this series. An elevation diagram of the national road is displayed on the bottom of the marker's face.

Town Hill Overlook Photo, Click for full size

By Christopher Busta-Peck, October 20, 2007

3. Town Hill Overlook

Note the canopy to protect tourists from the elements.

Also see . . . Town Hill Hotel. The hotel is still offering a haven for travelers. (Submitted on January 24, 2008, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)