Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Casselman River Bridge

Casselman River Bridge, Grantsville, Maryland
The Casselman River Bridge, east of Grantsville, Maryland, carried the National Road over the Casselman River, beginning in 1815. At the time it was built, it was the largest bridge of its type.

Casselman River Bridge, early 20th century
The bridge had fallen into considerable decay by the early 20th century.

Casselman River Bridge
It was restored in 1911 to carry automobile traffic and remained in operation until 1933, when a steel truss bridge on a newer alignment of US Route 40 replaced it.

Casselman River Bridge, Grantsville, Maryland
The bridge was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1963. It is operated by the state of Maryland as a state park.

Casselman River Bridge
This illustration, from the Historic American Buildings Survey, shows the location of the bridge relative to the new alignment of Route 40.

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