Jug Bridge

Jug Bridge (HMV3)

Location: Frederick, MD 21701 Frederick County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 24.305', W 77° 23.019'

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Inscription

An engineering marvel for early America

In 1800, travelers expected to ford rivers or use ferries that were slow and often risky in bad weather. The Baltimore and Frederick-Town Turnpike Company, building the first leg of the National Road in 1805, set out to revolutionize American roads. One of the results was an amazing five-arch stone bridge across the Monocacy River.

Leonard Harbaugh built the bridge in 1808 for a cost of $55,000. Mr. Harbaugh's signature was a distinctive stone "demijohn" placed on the bridge's east end, giving the span its name the "Jug Bridge." A demijohn was a popular bulbous, thin-necked bottle that often held whiskey. Rumors persist that a real jug of whiskey was planted inside the stone version. The Jug Bridge served faithfully well into the automobile era, but a collapse in 1942 led to a new bridge.

(Sidebar): Marquis de Lafayette
America's hero, Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette, crossed the Jug Bridge in December, 1824, entering Frederick on his triumphal U.S. tour fifty years after the Revolutionary War.

(Captions):
The Jug Bridge as seen in this early 20th century postcard view. The bridge collapsed in 1942, but the toll house on the opposite side of the river, still survives and is now a private residence.

Some horseless carriage adventurers (note the goggles and the duster in the foreground) pose with the stone demijohn at the entrance to the Jug Bridge. The unique monument was moved to its present location in 1965.
Details
HM NumberHMV3
Series This marker is part of the The Historic National Road series
Tags
Historical PeriodRevolutionary, 18th Century
Historical PlaceBridge
Marker TypeHistoric Object
Marker ClassHistorical Marker
Marker StyleFree Standing
Placed ByAmerica's Byways
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 at 12:52pm PDT -07:00
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 294766 N 4364441
Decimal Degrees39.40508333, -77.38365000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 24.305', W 77° 23.019'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 24' 18.3000" N, 77° 23' 1.1400" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)301, 410, 240
Can be seen from road?No
Is marker in the median?No
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 1501-6851 E Patrick St, Frederick MD 21701, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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  1. Which side of the road is the marker located?