Casselman Bridge

Casselman River Bridge State Park
Maryland State Park
The bridge's south aspect
Country United States
State Maryland
County Garrett
Elevation 2,113 ft (644 m) [1]
Coordinates 39°41′48″N 79°08′37″W / 39.69667°N 79.14361°W / 39.69667; -79.14361Coordinates: 39°41′48″N 79°08′37″W / 39.69667°N 79.14361°W / 39.69667; -79.14361 [1]
Area 4 acres (2 ha) [2]
Established 1957 [3]
Management Maryland Department of Natural Resources
IUCN category V - Protected Landscape/Seascape
Nearest city Grantsville, Maryland
Location in Maryland
Website: Casselman River Bridge State Park
Casselman's Bridge, National Road
Location East of Grantsville on U.S. Route 40 Alternate, Grantsville, Maryland
Built 1813-1814
Architect Unknown
Architectural style Other
NRHP Reference # 66000391
Significant dates
Added to NRHP October 15, 1966[4]
Designated NHL January 29, 1964[5]

The Casselman Bridge (variously known as Casselmans Bridge, Castleman's Bridge, and Little Crossings Bridge) is an historic transportation structure located 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Grantsville in Garrett County, Maryland. The bridge was built to carry the National Road across the Casselman River. It is the centerpiece of Casselman River Bridge State Park[6] and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1964.[5] Historic markers posted at each end read:

Erected 1813 by David Shriver, Jr., Sup't of the "Cumberland Road" (The National Road). This 80 foot span
was the largest stone arch in America at the time. It was continuously used from 1813 to 1933.[7]

History

The 354-foot-long (108 m) stone arch bridge spans 48 feet (15 m) with a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) arch. The bridge was constructed in 1813-1814 to aid in the westward movement through the frontier wilderness west of Cumberland, Maryland. A small portion of the original National Road still exists at the approaches to the bridge.[8]

The first wheeled traffic crossed the bridge in 1815. It 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.[9] In the 1940s and early 1950s efforts were made to preserve the bridge when sections started to crumble and fall apart. The bridge was closed to vehicles in 1953[10] and partially restored by the state in the mid 1950s.[11] Additional maintenance occurred in 1979, 1996, 2002, and 2012.[12]

Park

The state park offers picnicking facilities as well as fishing opportunities in Casselman River. The bridge is open to foot traffic. Stanton's Mill, which is also on National Register of Historic Places, lies adjacent to the park.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Casselman Bridge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  2. ↑ "Fiscal Year 2014 DNR Owned Lands Acreage" (PDF). Maryland Department of Natural Resources. December 18, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  3. ↑ "DNR restricts access to the bridge and the immediate area". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. March 6, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  4. ↑ Staff (2008-04-15). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  5. 1 2 "Listing by State: Maryland" (PDF). National Historic Landmarks Program. National Park Service. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Casselman River Bridge State Park". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Castleman’s River Bridge". Historical Marker Database. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Casselman Bridge, National Road". National Register Listings in Maryland. Maryland Historic Trust. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Little Crossings Bridge, National Road". Library of Congress. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Repairs scheduled for Casselman River Bridge". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. September 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Casselman River Bridge State Park History". Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  12. ↑ Sawyers, Michael A. (June 25, 2012). "No stone left unturned on Casselman Bridge". Cumberland Times-News. Retrieved July 30, 2015.

External links

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