cbustapeck Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 I don't think I've talked about this here, yet... I've created a map, using Google Maps, of the historic stone bridges on the National Road, in Maryland, complete with photographs, and for some bridges, links to my sets of photographs of the bridge in question. (I haven't had time to link to all the sets, but often I have a set of photographs dedicated to each bridge.) Most interesting, I think, are the smaller stone bridges that are hidden in plain view, like this stone culvert, just east of Ellicott City. I only found it due to the high quality aerial photographs available from local.live.com. The dropoff is relatively sharp (five or so feet, I think), so the easiest way to get to the point below is to park in the gas station parking lot and walk through the culvert (the water level was low when I was there...) from the other side of the road. There are several small bridges in Howard County, for most which only one side remains stone - the other side has been lost with the widening of the road. Here are a few: Washington County, Maryland, has more impressive bridges - I plan to document them well, with the intent of pubishing a book - there are 30-35 stone bridges there, most of them multiple arch structures. I've already created a map, showing their locations, with links to the MDIHP reports (available if you first login to their website) - next step is to get out and photograph them. The most impressive is probably Wilsons's Bridge Another one hidden in plain view is the bridge over Antietam Creek, the most stonebridged body of water in the country, in Funkstown which appears on one side to be a 1930s concrete arch bridge, but when you see the other side, you realize that it was merely widened in the 30s - I've passed over it dozens of times and never noticed until recently. Everyone knows the famous Casselman River Bridge, the longest single span stone arch bridge in the country when it was built, now a National Historic Landmark, so there isn't much I can say about it. I'll finish with a bridge that puzzles me a bit, the McFarland Road bridge, which sits a couple hundred feet east of Sideling Hill Creek. The wood road surface was built recently, but the stone structure is clearly much earlier. I haven't been able to locate any history for it, yet. I could ramble more, but you'd probably rather look at the map and photographs - I think they do a better job of telling the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobilene Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 Aaigh! This is causing me to lose all desire to test software (my line of work) today, and get in my car and drive to Maryland! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbustapeck Posted October 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 Aaigh! This is causing me to lose all desire to test software (my line of work) today, and get in my car and drive to Maryland! I'm sorry. Guess I'll just have to go back to posting lots of boring photos. I'm sure I can dig up a few... Just wondering, have you seen the Corridor Management Plans for the National Road in Indiana and Illinois? I'm assuming that the "intrinsic quality inventory" section would be just as interesting and useful as the same section in the Ohio Corridor Management Plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobilene Posted October 29, 2007 Report Share Posted October 29, 2007 I hadn't seen it, and a short search didn't find it just now. I'll keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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