Take a Back Road: Morgantown – Washington – Wheeling

Part II

On the outskirts of Washington, PA we departed from U.S. Route 19 in favor of Sanitarium Road. Street names like this are often vestiges of the past with little evidence of their namesake still existing. But where Sanitarium Road ended, we solved the mystery. What is now an elder care facility is the most modern remain of the Hillsview Sanitarium. Our destination happened to be across the street.

When I think about the things that make cities and towns famous, or even the landmarks of Washington, PA, this type of location would have never dawned on me. Across from the old sanitarium is America’s first crematorium. Yes, this would be where bodies are cremated. Yes, I agree that it is completely creepy. But it is pretty cool. The history of this facility alone is really cool and just a little macabre, recommended reading!

Beyond the crematorium we drove through the historic downtown, past the hospital, and toward the Meadows. Like with most cities, the area of greatest growth is away from the traditional downtown. The Meadows Racetrack and Casino is surrounded by hotels and restaurants filled by people coming to, most likely, part ways with their cash. In one of these such hotels is a geocache, the geocache that put Washington on the map for us on this day.

Chris and I walked into the DoubleTree and asked for Room 266. The desk clerk gave us a funny look and showed us to Room 266. Thankfully what we discovered was entirely geocaching related and entirely not some kind of strange swinger-ring or axe murderer. If you’re in the area and enjoy geocaching, this is one I would highly recommend. But all good things must come to an end.

From Washington, it was time to go west. West, to Wheeling, whose suspension bridge across the Ohio River was long a symbol as the gateway to the West. Preservation groups have, thankfully, committed a lot of time and resources to ensuring the National Road, now largely U.S. Route 40, possesses a place in the American psyche for years to come.

Not far from Washington is the town of Claysville. Claysville is hardly more than a cluster of buildings, but parallel to the existing alignment of U.S. Route 40 is an old “S” Bridge that carried the original road. Here there is a grassy park-like area set up where visitors can stop for a picnic and get acquainted with the engineering of times past. Even the untrained can gain an appreciation for the progress of highway engineering over the past 150 years. And yes, there is a geocache here and another very nearby.

As we made movement to the state line we made a short stop at the West Alexander Fairgrounds. In West Alexander the fair connects the community, offering opportunities for entertainment, civic engagement, and civic pride. Individual communities do not commonly hold their own fairs anymore, but rather use the county fair to fill the gap, thus making West Alexander another very special place.

From here, the West Virginia state line is almost visible and this is where the landscape changes. Rural, agricultural Pennsylvania will give way to the narrow valleys and ghosts of industry in the greater Wheeling area. Follow along as we ride the hills as hollers of West Virginia’s Northern Panhandle.

Three Stops in Western Maryland

When someone talks about Maryland, odds are it’s not about western Maryland. Western Maryland is home to some of the harshest geography and least populated areas in the eastern United States. Most who do experience this area try to push through it as quickly as possible on I-68, some not even realizing their proximity to the National Road, which winds carefully through and over the mountains, visiting some of the most charming and beautiful towns in the mid-Atlantic. On this day, the goal was Baltimore from Morgantown. Traveling in tandem with Chris, it was time for a history lesson on America's first Mother Road in Garrett and Allegany counties.

Our first stop was at the Little Crossings, now called the Casselman Bridge. This bridge was originally built in 1813 for use on the National Road. It carried traffic for over 100 years before being replaced by a through truss bridge in the 1930s on an alignment of US-40 only a few hundred feet from the old bridge. The bridge from 1813 was the largest of its type when it was built. When you approach the bridge what is most apparent is its imposing size, then you realize it was built by hand. The bridge had fallen into disrepair and was restored in the 1970s and is now a small state park along the current alignment of Alt US-40 a few miles east of Grantsville, MD. Though if you do visit this bridge, start signaling your turn early, it’s a steep hill and other drivers appreciate getting as much warning as possible.

The original crossing over the Casselman River

We continued the trek eastward, traveling up and down the mountains nowhere near as efficiently as the cars on I-68. Though I was wondering how many people on I-68 saw us going up and down those hills, wishing on such a beautiful day they weren’t on the interstate. Our next stop was at the LaVale Tollhouse, just outside of Cumberland, MD. Funding for roads has always been a highly contentious issue. When the National Road was built the federal government passed the responsibility of paying for the roads onto the states, which led to elaborate tolling schemes. In Maryland the National Road had two tollhouses, the one in LaVale being one of them. Sitting along present Alt US-40 is this relatively non-descript beige building was the source of some highway drama! Folks in the 1830s didn’t like tolls any more than we do today, and pikers found new and exciting ways to aggravate the toll collectors.

The Lavale Tollhouse, on the National Road a few miles west of Cumberland, Maryland.

After a delicious lunch at D’Atri Restaurant in LaVale we continued along the National Road toward Hancock. There are many hills and mountains between where the National Road enters Maryland from Pennsylvania to Hancock, but Town Hill not only presents a beautiful view of the valley below and Sideling Hill to the east, but is home to the Town Hill Tavern. The Town Hill Tavern is the last 1920s-era lodging and dining establishment along the old National Road. Traffic is pretty light, and looking down from the overlook explains it. We quietly watched the traffic rush pass below on I-68, while only acknowledging one motorcycle passing us up at the summit of Town Hill.

Town Hill Tavern on the National Road, a few miles west of Sideling Hill.

View of I-68 and, in the distance, Sideling Hill, from the Town Hill Tavern.