The Casselman Bridge is a historic transportation structure on the

Casselman River The Casselman River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Youghiogheny River in western Maryland and Pennsylvania in the United States.G ...

, located immediately east of Grantsville in

Garrett County Garrett County () is the westernmost county of the U.S. state of Maryland, completely within the Appalachian Mountains. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 28,806, making it the third-least populous county in Maryland. Its ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, and preserved by the state of Maryland as Casselman River Bridge State Park. The bridge was built in 1813–1814 as part of the

National Road The National Road (also known as the Cumberland Road) was the first major improved highway in the United States built by the federal government. Built between 1811 and 1837, the road connected the Potomac and Ohio Rivers and was a main tran ...

. Historic markers posted at each end read: The structure, which has also been known as Casselmans Bridge, Castleman's Bridge, and Little Crossings Bridge, was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1964 and placed on the

National Historic Register The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of sites, buildings, structures, districts, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1966.

History

The stone

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its structural load, loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either si ...

spans with a arch and a roadway width of . The bridge was constructed in 1813–1814 to aid in the westward movement through the frontier wilderness west of

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,075. Located on the Potomac River, Cumberland is a regional business and comm ...

. The first wheeled vehicles crossed the bridge in 1815. As a "tidal wave" of western expansion followed the opening of the National Road, Casselman Bridge had heavy traffic that included 10-ton loads drawn by 12-horse teams. A small portion of the original National Road still exists at the approaches to the bridge. The bridge was strengthened for motorized traffic in 1911 and continued in service as a highway until 1933, when a modern steel span was built nearby to serve what is now US Route 40 Alternate. In the 1940s and early 1950s, efforts were made to preserve the bridge when sections started to crumble. The bridge was closed to vehicles in 1953, partially restored by the state in the mid-1950s, and became a state park in 1957. Additional maintenance occurred in 1979, 1996, 2002, and 2012.

Activities and amenities

In addition to walking over the historic bridge, the state park offers picnicking facilities and fishing in

. Historic structures to the east of the park include Stanton's Mill, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the restored log cabin craft shops of

Spruce Forest Artisan Village The Spruce Forest Artisan Village is an arts and heritage center in Garrett County, Maryland, that is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the region. Resident and visiting artisans demonstrate their crafts in restored log cabins and vintage f ...

References

External links

Casselman River Bridge State Park
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Inventory No. G-II-C-014: Casselman Bridge, National Road (various documents)
Maryland State Archives * * *, including photo from 1996, at Maryland Historical Trust {{authority control Parks in Garrett County, Maryland State parks of the Appalachians National Historic Landmarks in Maryland Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland Bridges completed in 1813 State parks of Maryland Transportation buildings and structures in Garrett County, Maryland Pedestrian bridges in Maryland Former road bridges in the United States Historic American Buildings Survey in Maryland Historic American Engineering Record in Maryland National Road National Register of Historic Places in Garrett County, Maryland Stone arch bridges in the United States Protected areas established in 1957 1957 establishments in Maryland

History

Activities and amenities

See also

References

External links