This marker near the Potomac River and the line between Maryland and West Virginia points out the…read morehistory of a local who grew up here and the house that provided some history in the Civil War. The marker reads, "Ferry Hill Place. Built in 1812. The boyhood home of Colonel Henry Kyd Douglas, a member of Stonewall Jackson's staff. September 18, 1862, federal troops occupied these premises and confined the Douglas family, June 18, 1863. Headquarters of Confederate Major General Edward Johnson, en route to Pennsylvania." The house itself is not open to the public though the grounds are. It is managed by the National Park Service. "Ferry Hill Place has stood for two centuries above the Potomac River and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, participating in and watching history pass by. In the 18th and early 19th century German settlers migrated from Pennsylvania south into Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, where they then farmed the rich soil. These settlers crossed the Potomac using Packhorse Ford and later Blackford's Ferry below Ferry Hill. Come the 1830s the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal crossed this north/south route, tapping the river waters to provide a controlled water transportation route into western Maryland." [Review 15603 overall - 648 in Maryland - 1107 of 2021.]

Roddy Road Park and Covered Bridge…read more 7885 Roddy Creek Rd, Thurmont, MD 21788 everyday, sunrise to dusk a restroom inside the building accessible for strollers and wheelchairs Free! Limited space open parking spot at the lot next to the park. ℹ recreater.com A beautiful park next to Owens Creek that adjacent to the famous covered bridge on Thurmont area, Roddy Road Covered Bridge. The park itself has covered bench, smaller playground with swings, grasses area for playing or dogs walkers or restroom pitstops. Check out the National Parks standard restrooms while you're there, and be amazed how clean it is. The park also gives a close-up opportunities to see the covered bridge for a detailed exploration. The Roddy Road Covered Bridge is the 1st stop if you're traveling north to Frederick from Emmitsburg, the othet next two covered bridge are here is you are curious or in the area: 1. Loys Station Covered Bridge, Old Frederick Rd, Rocky Ridge, MD. 2. Historic Utica Covered Bridge, 7720 Uttica Rd, Thurmont, MD. Check out the path going to the Owens Creek while you're there and get a closer look at the covered bridge in person and experience while cars crossing through the bridge. #roddyroadpark #roddyroadcoveredbridge #thurmontmd #preservefootprints

Roddy Road is one of a cluster of three covered bridges in Frederick County so you can visit all…read morethree in one trip quite easily. If you're traveling from the south, this is Stop 3. Stop 1: Utica Covered Bridge, 7720 Utica Rd, Thurmont, MD Drive 11 minutes to Stop 2. Stop 2: Loys Station Covered Bridge, Old Frederick Road, Rocky Ridge, MD Drive 9 minutes to Stop 3. Stop 3: Roddy Road Covered Bridge, Roddy Road, Thurmont, MD On the way from Stop 2 to Stop 3, you navigate through a quiet residential neighborhood where practically all of the homes decorate for Christmas so going around that time of year you get to catch the decor. There's plenty of parking, covered benches, grassy areas to walk dogs, and opportunities to see the bridge up close. Because it's an active road, the occasional car does pass through. The structure is in great condition and the ground is solid. There's a signpost explaining its history and a creek below. Expect to spend no more than 15-20 minutes unless you plan to have a meal on the benches or have dawdling kids. Come earlier in the day than dusk to get a better experience!

On March 8, 2016 I went to the Wilson Bridge. I had to make the first Yelp review for this because…read moreit was not in their records. It's a pretty view and a cool stone bridge. It is called the Link between East and West. It was built in 1819 and was first stone bridge in Washington County. Erected by Silas Harry making a major improvement to the road system between Baltimore and Cumberland. It helped have a smooth surface from eastern seaboard to western wilderness. It carried traffic until seriously damaged by store flooding in 1972. Now you can just walk on it. It was placed on the National Historic Register 1982. I am giving it 5 stars because it had information there and it was a nice bridge to walk on to take in the view.

We used this and the adjacent park on the other side of the canal as our launch point for two rides…read more29SEP (went south out & back 10 miles) and 30 SEP went north out & back 24 miles). Spacious parking area, not paved or marked spots but I would guess 30 cars or so would fit comfortably? The days we were there we only saw about 10-15. The trail itself is well packed dirt/gravel and even with a few wet areas along the way it is easy for most bikes, other than a pure road bike.

Tony and I stopped at C&O Canal Lock 44 & Lockhouse. It's free to enjoy and a lovely area to Enjoy…read morefor free. Plenty of parking. There is an old Lockhouse, plenty of signage about history and TURTLES...We saw about 20 plus turtles sunning themselves. Great place for hiking, biking and exploring. Close easy access to the Potomac River for tubing and swimming. Highly Recommend and definitely would go back when in area.

Such a great experience! Our guide did a wonderful job explaining things and helped our group of…read morestudents leave with new knowledge.

Located just off US-15, the Catoctin Furnace (also known as Catoctin Iron Furnace) is a historic…read moreiron forge. Only the smelting blast furnace remains and the forge is long gone. Catoctin Furnace was constructed in 1774 by four brothers Thomas, Baker, Roger and James Johnson to produce pig iron from locally mined hematite. In blast by 1776, the furnace provided ammunition (cannonballs) for the American Revolutionary War. Ultimately, three furnaces were built at the site, each named for the site. The first Catoctin Furnace was rebuilt a short distance away in 1787. The second, named Isabella was built in the 1850s by Jacob Kunkel (references give dates from 1853 to 1867). It still stands, within Cunningham Falls State Park. In 1973, the Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc. was formed by G. Eugene Anderson, Clement E. Gardiner, J. Franklin Mentzer, and Earl M. Shankle to "foster and promote the restoration of the Catoctin Furnace Historic District...and to maintain the same exclusively for educational and scientific purposes...to exhibit to coming generations our heritage of the past..." The Catoctin Furnace Historical Society, Inc., celebrates, studies, and preserves the rich history of this pre-revolutionary industrial village, including the architecture, cultural landscapes, lifeways, and foodways of the workers. This is a nice stop just off the highway for a bit of industrial era and Revolutionary War history. Several captions adorn the site pointing out the important parts. Much of the area is handicapped accessible. [Review 15590 overall - 635 in Maryland - 1094 of 2021.]

What an amazing place! You literally can just feel the history in the walls of this place…read more The Miller House (which also houses the Washington County Historical Society) was built in 1825 and may just look like an ordinary brick building from the front, but you would never guess this structure has over 20 rooms and 4 staircases. Ms. Linda, the Executive Director of the historical society, gave my classmates and I a tour of the house and it was amazing (and a workout). If you're looking for a place with a lot of Civil War history, this is it! Stop by in Hagerstown and check this place out, then find an awesome place to eat down the street! For more information, please check out http://www.washcomdhistoricalsociety.org/index.php

Such a fantastic time! I went to the Miller House 2 consecutive days and each time we went back we…read morelearned more and more about the local history of Hagerstown! Linda, the executive director of the Washington County Historical society in Hagerstown, was such a wonderful guide through history. She has an impressive amount of knowledge of local history and is a pleasure to be around. Get out and learn about some local history!!

This marker stands on Duke Street just over the bridge from Maryland into West Virginia and points…read moreout the history of Jefferson County. The marker reads, "Formed in 1801 from Berkeley. Named for Thomas Jefferson. Home of Generals Gates, Darke, and Charles Lee. Here four companies of Washington's men organized. Shepherdstown was strongly urged as the seat of the National Capitol." It's not all that far fetched. There was a time that West Virginia was Virginia and it's on the border with Maryland. Much the way that Washington DC is on the border between the two states. Jefferson County is located in the Shenandoah Valley in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and is the easternmost county of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Jefferson County was established on October 26, 1801 from Berkeley County because the citizens of southeastern Berkeley county felt they had to travel too far to the county seat of Martinsburg. Charles Washington, the founder of Charles Town and brother to George Washington petitioned for a new county to be formed. It was named for Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States. [Review 15605 overall - 57 in West Virginia - 1109 of 2021.]

I arrived at Hagerstown prison on some Bullsh*t possession charge…read more(I told them it was that hitchhiker I picked up that left that piece of crack under my seat). Hagerstown prison sits on a rolling hill and due to the limited amount of lightpollution surrounding the area you can see the big dipper quite well. I was walked into the prison(I am sorry, correctional facility) by two of the nicest police officers in the world.I have only nice things to say about the fine police force of Hagerstown. The gates to the correctional facility opened up and the first thing I noticed was how clean the place was. Wow! was I impressed. The lovely color of orange the walls where painted matched my new orange jumpsuit I was issued. Getting processed into general population is never a quick affair, but 11 hours!! I already had knocked off one star for that inconveinence. The staff was pretty friendly, well as far as prison staffs go. I was in the processing room for about 4 hours when my stomach was rumbling from the Indian food I had for dinner. No one ever wants to drop a deuce with 14 dudes within 10 feet, but you got to do what you got to do. If I could take one thing from prison and put it in my house, It would be those steel toilets. Talk about comfort, I almost forgot I was in prison for a second. Fast forward a week I am in general population and I only got into one small fight over a half eaten apple. I know Prison has rules for visitors, but come on. This is from the visitors code: Visitors must dress appropriately for visitation. All clothing must cover from the neck to the kneecaps. The following types of clothing are not allowed to be worn: * tube tops, tank tops, or halter tops * see-through clothing * mini-skirts, mini-dresses, shorts, skorts, or culottes (at or above the kneecap) * form-fitting clothes such as leotards, spandex, and leggings What do you want my lady to wear when she comes to visit me a burka? Hagerstown Prison is not Attika or Angola (Louisiana Prison, not the country in Africa) but it could use some improvements. Only 3 basic cable channels and no nets for the basketball hoops are the least of the problems here. But the staff is decent and even the Warden seems like a swell guy.

yeah, there is a whole complex of prisons out here. but it isn't hagerstown, but the state of…read moremaryland. so people would first go to the intake and reception facility in downtown baltimore after they are convicted and sentenced, and eventually they would get assigned to the appropriate prison/correctional facility, which may be one of the ones here. at any rate, not pleasant. i went to roxbury correctional institute (RCI). real scary. you go to the main gate, yell up to a guard in the tower what your purpose is (mine was to see clients, not as an inmate) and then get processed in. you have to wear a little arm band and get a phosphorescent stamp on your hand, just in case someone inside were to kill you and change into your clothes. i saw my clients in a crowded day room. i think that the guards were just trying to intimidate me by putting me in such an unsecure area. i never mind going to a local county detention center, but coming here would scare anyone straight.