Whether you’re an enthusiastic history buff or a more future-oriented individual, you will find a visit to the Historic National Road an exciting way to spend your present. Follow the “road that built the nation” through six states--Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois--and find yourself caught up in the spirit of the byway.
When Thomas Jefferson made the Historic National Road the first federally funded interstate highway, did he know that it would still thrive today? Whether he did or not, you can experience a piece of the past, beginning where the byway does, in Maryland. In Frederick, the state’s second largest city, stroll through the beautiful historic district and spend some time at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. About an hour away in Grantsville, delight in the Spruce Forest Artisan Village, where you can watch artisans demonstrate traditional skills and crafts such as blacksmithing, stained glasswork, and soap-making.
Proceed to Pennsylvania, where you’ll pass the Addison Tollhouse, the only authentic, native-cut tollhouse still standing today. Stop off at the Mt. Washington Tavern and take in the history of this stagecoach and rest stop, which was built on land once owned by George Washington. During the French and Indian War, this founding father also fought on the Fort Necessity battlefield, adjacent to the tavern. Farther along the byway pass by the rebuilt Searights Tollhouse, one of the original six commissioned tollhouses built in Pennsylvania, and experience the continuing services of pike towns, which were built as a response to the economic growth brought on by the Historic National Road. Accommodating weary travelers for 200 years, the Century Inn resides in just such a pike town, Scenery Hill, PA.
Journey on to the city of Wheeling, West Virginia. Here you’ll find Shepherd Hall, the stately mansion of Lydia and Moses Shepherd, two historical figures largely responsible for bringing the Historic National Road through Wheeling. Take an audio tour and watch an interpretive movie at West Virginia’s Independence Hall. This National Historic Landmark represents the emergence of the state during the divisive Civil War. As you leave West Virginia just beyond Wheeling, cross the Ohio River on the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge, a second National Historic Landmark built over 150 years ago.
As you pass through Ohio, tarry at Springfield’s Clark County Heritage Center. In this massive, architecturally enchanting structure, a chunk of history in itself, you will find an extensive museum, a vast library, and informative exhibits. Learn about the history of the Historic National Road in the National Road gallery or about early confrontations in the Clash of Cultures exhibit. For even more Historic National Road lore, visit the National Road and Zane Grey Museum. Discover the best of the “Main Street of America” through a 136-foot diorama and life-size scene reconstructions at this museum in Norwich, OH.
When you find yourself in Indiana, take a trip down Richmond's Antique Alley. Follow the city's streets, which are all but lined with abundant and inviting antique shops. Antique furniture and trinkets are not the only surviving monuments to Indiana's past. Two original Historic National Road mile-markers near Centerville, IN; the Huddleston Farmhouse Museum, owned and operated by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana; and many other engaging sites also pay tribute to a memorable history along the Indiana portion of the Historic National Road.
At the original terminus of the Historic National Road in Illinois, the city of Vandalia retains historical charm. The state capital prior to Springfield, Vandalia is still home to the old state capitol building where Abraham Lincoln served as a state legislator. You can tour the building with a knowledgeable guide or set your own pace as you take in architecture, exhibits, and original documents of an earlier time. Also in Vandalia, stop by the city's Madonna of the Trail statue, one of twelve sprinkled across the nation, to commemorate the heroic efforts of early pioneer mothers.
On the Historic National Road, history becomes something in which you can directly participate. Explore National Historic Landmarks, shop for antiques, take in exhibits and enjoy the many museums sprinkled across the byway. Take America’s first federally funded interstate highway to reach into the historical roots of today.
