South Mountain Summit

South Mountain Summit (HMDD)

Location: Middletown, MD 21769 Fairfax County
Buy Maryland State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 29.067', W 77° 37.161'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 1030 views
Inscription

What an Ideal Location for a Break!

As early as 1750, Robert Turner bought land here on the top of South Mountain. The date of construction is unknown, but by 1790 a full-fledged inn was in operation at "Turner's Gap." Since then, the building has been in almost continuous use as an inn, tavern or private residence.

After the steep climb up South Mountain's slope, horsemen, stagecoach drivers and passengers, even drover and teamsters, reveled in the luxury of the famous "Mountain House." During its heyday, the inn boasted 21 rooms, including a bathhouse and a bowling alley. Utilitarian barns, pens, outhouses, a blacksmith shop, and smoke house surrounded it.

(sidebar) Beware of the "Snarly Yow." Legend has it that the shadow of a black dog used to prowl the heights of South Mountain. One night, a huntsman, famous as a sure shot, encountered the beast. He aimed and fired his rifle. The shot went right through the animal with no effect. He fired again and again, each shot passing through the shadowy beast. Finally overcome with dread, the huntsman fled.
Details
HM NumberHMDD
Series This marker is part of the The Historic National Road series
Tags
,
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at 7:01pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 274725 N 4373814
Decimal Degrees39.48445000, -77.61935000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 29.067', W 77° 37.161'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 29' 4.02" N, 77° 37' 9.66" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)301, 240
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 6307 Appalachian Trail, Middletown MD 21769, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Nearby Markersshow on map
Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. Who or what organization placed the marker?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?
© 2025  Historical Marker Project.  All Rights Reserved.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
HMP is owned and operated by 3RiverDev (Fort Wayne, Indiana).
Terms and Conditions   |   Privacy Policy   |   Disclaimers   |   About   |   Contact Us