Nov 12, 2018 2 min read

In 1806, Congress voted to build a road from Cumberland, Md., to the new state of Ohio. When the final route was determined it bisected the new county of Washington in Pennsylvania.

This new “gateway to the West” was literally built by hand. Laborers, most of whom were Irish immigrants, were paid as little as $6 per month. The road was constructed of stones that the engineers mandated be less than 7 inches in diameter. In order to make the big rocks that came from leveling out hills into 7-inch stones, the workers would sit next to a pile of big stones and hammer them into smaller stones.

To ensure that the stones met the engineer’s specifications, a 7-inch ring was used. “Keep hitting it until it fits through the ring!”

The first 113-mile segment, from Cumberland to Wheeling, W.Va., was completed in seven years, and the new road brought prosperity to Washington County. New towns such as Centerville, Beallsville, Scenery Hill, Claysville and West Alexander sprang up along with businesses that catered to travelers’ needs. One fine example is The Century Inn, still serving travelers 200 years later.

J. Bracken Burns Sr. is president of Washington County Historical Society Board of Directors.