The Casselman Bridge is a historic transportation structure on the Casselman River, located immediately east of Grantsville in Garrett County, Maryland, and preserved by the state of Maryland as Casselman River Bridge State Park.[2][4] The bridge was built in 1813–1814 as part of the National Road. 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.[5]
The 354-foot-long (108 m) stone arch bridge spans 80 feet (24 m) with a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) arch and a roadway width of 48 feet (15 m).[8][9] The bridge was constructed in 1813–1814 to aid in the westward movement through the frontier wilderness west of Cumberland, Maryland. The first wheeled vehicles crossed the bridge in 1815.[10] 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.[7] A small portion of the original National Road still exists at the approaches to the bridge.[8]
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.[10] 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,[11] partially restored by the state in the mid-1950s,[9] and became a state park in 1957.[3] Additional maintenance occurred in 1979, 1996, 2002, and 2012.[12]
Activities and amenities
In addition to walking over the historic bridge, the state park offers picnicking facilities and fishing in Casselman River. Historic structures to the east of the park include Stanton's Mill, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places,[2] and the restored log cabin craft shops of Spruce Forest Artisan Village.
^ abJoseph Scott Mendinghall, Historian (May 3, 1976). "Casselman Bridge, National Road". National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination. National Park Service. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
