Near Grantsville in Garrett County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The National Pike
Spruce Forest Artisan Village History Walk
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 17, 2020
During the Golden Age of "The Pike", 1842-1852, traffic on the road was immense. Up to fourteen stagecoaches per day, each way, used the road to carry passengers as far as the western frontier. Three daily mail coaches, each way, ran between Cumberland, MD and Uniontown, PA, with regular stops to change horses at Frostburg, Keyser's Ridge and Addison. Traffic on the road included not only stagecoaches, freighters and Conestogas, but also droves of cattle, sheep, pigs and turkeys.
Public inns, legally known as Ordinaries, flanked the highway, about one per mile. Three of the finest inns are local and have been preserved to this day. Little Crossings Inn, now Penn Alps Restaurant, is a prime log structure thought to be the only remaining one of its kind on the road. The Casselman Hotel in Grantsville is a fine hand-burned brick building. Tomlinson's stately Stone House Inn is located several miles east on The Pike. Little Crossings Inn and Tomlinson's served largely as stagecoach stops, while the Casselman was well equipped for drovers, with a large corral nearby.
Congressional appropriations for the National Road continued until 1835, when the states assumed control and erected toll gates and mileage posts. From 1852 to 1912, railroads gained dominance and The Pike declined. Stagecoaches and mail coaches stopped running about 1907. However, the advent of the automobile brought new life. Today, The Pike, along with the two parallel roads and bridges at Little Crossing, tells the story of westward expansion and regional development.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the The Historic National Road series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1806.
Location. 39° 41.811′ N, 79° 8.537′ W. Marker is near Grantsville, Maryland, in Garrett County. Marker can be reached from Casselman Road, 0.2 miles west of National Pike (Alternate U.S. 40). Located in Spruce Village Artisan Village. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Grantsville MD 21536, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West (a few steps from this marker); Casselman River Bridge State Park (a few steps from this marker); The Miller House (a few steps from this marker); Compton School (a few steps from this marker);
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 17, 2020
Also see . . . Wikipedia article on the Old National Pike. (Submitted on June 28, 2015, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 19, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2015, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 627 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 19, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.