Actual Virtual Tour - Northen Heritage Area Preview

1

Starting Point

Begin at the Garrett County Visitors Center at 15 Visitors Center Drive, McHenry, MD 21541

2

James Drane House

39°37'44.3"N 79°18'47.0"WYour first stop will be at the James Drane House. (Open by appointment - call 301-746-6346).The James Drane House, located in Accident, Maryland, was built in 1798 by a man named William Lamar. He gave it to his sister and her husband, James Drane around 1800. James and his wife were the first permanent settlers in the area. He expanded the house in 1810. It is believed to by the oldest standing structure in Accident and its log and frame construction is unique for the time. The city restored the house in the late 1980s and it was dedicated in 1994. It is managed by the Accident Cultural and Historical Society, which offers tours of the house by appointment. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

3

The Cove Overlook

Head north on Rt. 219 to the Cove Overlook on your left.See beautiful views of rolling mountains and farmland.

4

Grantsville Museum

153 Main Street Grantsville MD 21536Open May - October. Come for a visit and learn about local history. Our Leo Beachy photography gallery has photos from the beginning of the 20th century. Local people, local places, storms of the past are captured by this amazing school teacher turned photographer. A visionary of the time. View a DVD from WQED Public TV about Leo Beachy and how his glass negatives have been preserved.

5

Casselman Inn

Built in 1842, The Casselman was one of the numerous inns along the National Trail to serve the stage coaches, covered wagons, drovers and riders that made the Old Pike the busiest thoroughfare crossing the mountains. In its over 180 years of history, The Casselman has been called Drover’s Inn, Farmer’s Hotel, Dorsey’s Hotel, and The Casselman. Daniel Grant, an English engineer from whom Grantsville took its name, was the original owner of a tract of land that he called Cornucopia. It included much of Grantsville and one thousand acres around town. A later owner, Solomon Sterner, built The Casselman of brick that was handmade and burnt on this land. A fireplace in each room furnished heat and cooking facilities for the original building.A kitchen was added in 1903 by the Dorseys. Ivan and Della Miller acquired the place in 1964. Business soon outgrew the facilities and the Millers added a dining room, antique shop, bake shop and forty-unit motel. The Casselman continues now as a second generation family-owned business and is an important historic landmark in Western Maryland.

6

Casselman River Bridge State Park

Casselman River Bridge State Park is a 4-acre parcel located east of Grantsville in Garrett County on U.S. Route 40. It is a popular area for fly fishermen, photographers, and history enthusiasts. When the 80-foot span was erected in 1813, it was the longest single span stone arch bridge in the United States. Skeptics predicted that the bridge would collapse once the supporting timbers were removed - yet the bridge stood, serving as an important link on the National Road from 1813 to 1933. Although the bridge no longer carries vehicular traffic, it is open to pedestrians.

7

Spruce Forest Artisan Village

Spruce Forest serves a unique purpose in the Allegheny region. Here in the heart of what was known as Little Crossings in the time of General Braddock, artists have developed designs, genres, and even media specific to this area. Spruce Forest is a venue not only where artists showcase and sell their work, but also where visitors have the chance to interact with artisans inside their studios. Six resident artists and many visiting artists share their stories, technical advice, and creative processes with our audience of 60,000 each year.

8

Meshach Browning's Gravesite

Read about famous historic hunter, Meshach BrowningKentucky has Daniel Boone. Davy Crockett was born on a mountaintop in Tennessee. Thanks to the literary ability of Meshach (pronounced MEE-shak) Browning, Maryland has its own early-American frontier legend, whose tales have captivated audiences for 158 years. Today, the famous rifle of our state’s most celebrated hunter is among early American items displayed in the Smithsonian Institution.