Maryland

Maryland likes to call itself America in Miniature due to its diversity of landscapes. Route 40 crosses them all, from the tidal lowlands of the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains in the west. For a small state, Maryland possesses a significantly large portion of Route 40 - 226 miles, the same as Ohio. Maryland's share of Route 40 is larger than that of New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and even California!

Elkton

Photo by E. H. Pickering, November 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,4-1. 222 East Main Street. Located about a quarter mile east of the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,9-1. 205 East Main Street. Located about two blocks east of the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,3-2. Partridge Hill. 129 East Main Street. Located on the old Route 40 alignment. View more photos of Partridge Hill.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,8-1. East Main Street. Located on east of North Street on the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,5-1. Pearce Store. West Main Street. Located on the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,11-1. 142 West Main Street. Located on the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, November 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,6-1. 189 West Main and North Bridge Streets. Located on the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,2-1. Hollingsworth Tavern. 205 West Main Street. Built in 1730, this place is also known as the Holly Inn. George Washington slept here in August of 1777. Located about two blocks east of the old Route 40 alignment.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,1-1. Fountain Inn.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-ELKTO,12-1. Stone House at Elkton Landing.

Northeast

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-NOREA,2-2. Old Inn.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-NOREA,2-2. Green Hill Slave Quarters. It doesn't take very long after crossing the Mason-Dixon line to see signs of Maryland's slave days. These old slave quarters are located on SR 7 (old Route 40). Make no doubt about it - Route 40 has entered the South. This is Klan country. When I was growing up in Maryland, I would read in the Sun about cross burnings in Rising Sun. It is rather interesting that the signs of racism along Route 40 -- past and present -- are most abundant between Baltimore and Elkton. The slave plantations, abundance of Confederate flags, swastikas and its infamous history of "whites only" restaurants make the culture along this part of Route 40 a bit of an anomaly.

Perryville

Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-PRINF,1-1. Principio Furnace. Once a thriving iron furnace, this is all that remains. You can see this relic as you drive by on SR 7 (old Route 40). Note the man standing inside the furnace! Photo by E. H. Pickering, October 1936. Historic American Buildings Survey. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,8-PRINF,1-2.

Havre de Grace

Photo by Historic American Buildings Survey. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,13-HAV,1-1). Old Ordinary. This tavern was built in 1800 and located about four blocks east of old Route 40 in Havre de Grace (pronounced HAVE-uh dee grace). View another picture of the Old Ordinary.

Photo by Historic American Buildings Survey. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HABS,MD,13-HAV,1-1). Post Road Bridge. West of Havre de Grace old Route 40 (now SR 7) merges with Pulaski Highway (modern day Route 40). Just before that merging, old Route 40 crosses the main rail lines on an old iron truss bridge. This aerial photo looks to the southwest. SR 7 (old Route 40) enters from the left. Pulaski Highway is on the right. The term "post road" comes from the colonial mail routes along the east coast. View more pictures of the Post Road Bridge.

Perryville

Photo by Historic American Engineering Record. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, HAER, MD,13-HAV,4-10. Susquehanna River Bridges. This picture shows three series of bridges that span the Susquehanna River. The first in the foreground carries railroad traffic. The second bridge is the highway bridge for Route 40. The third bridge is another railroad bridge. The original Route 40 bridge was just beyond the third bridge. View more pictures of the Susquehanna River Bridges.

Aberdeen

Photo by John Vachon. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USW3-018222-D). Diner. Trucker drivers having coffee at a diner on U.S. Highway 40, Aberdeen, Maryland. February 1943. FSA photographer John Vachon captured teamsters at Route 40 diners in New Castle, Delaware and Aberdeen, Maryland. View more of Vachon's diner photographs.

Belcamp

Photo by E. H. Pickering, ca. 1932. Courtesy of the Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress, HABS,MD,13-BELCA,1-2. Sophia's Dairy. Built in 1768 by Aquila Hall and located on Route 40 (Pulaski Highway).

Baltimore

Baltimore, Maryland. Restaurant under the elevated trolley. April 1943. Photo by Marjory Collins. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USW3-022120-E).

Baltimore, Maryland. A street scene. April 1943. Photo by Marjory Collins. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USW3-022105-E).

Baltimore, Maryland. Street under viaduct. April 1943. Photo by Marjory Collins. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USW3-022074-E).

Baltimore, Maryland. Street scene. March 1943. Photo by John Vachon. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USW3-020293-D).

Photo by Arthur Rothstein, April 1939. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USF33-003035-M2. Baltimore Street.

Photo by the Detroit Publishing Company, 1903. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-D4-26530. Johns Hopkins' Cottage and Hotel Renner.

Photo by the Detroit Publishing Company, 1906. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-D401-19122. Light Street, looking north.

Photo by the Detroit Publishing Company, 1906. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-D4-19127. Hotel Kernan & Maryland Theatre.

Baltimore, Maryland. Workers boarding a trackless trolley at four p.m. March 1943. Photo by Marjory Collins. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-USW3-022058-E).

Photo by the Detroit Publishing Company, ca. 1910-1920. Courtesy of the Library of Congress, LC-D4-73433. Ellicott Driveway and the Edmonson Avenue Bridge. What a great old photograph! Although Edmonson Avenue wouldn't become Route 40 until the 1950's, it provides a glimpse of the serenity along Gwynn's Falls nearly a century ago. The photograph was taken just north of Edmonson Avenue and looks south.

Ellicott City

Photo courtesy of the Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, HAER,MD,14-ELLCI,11-1. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. This view is to the north. This 1970's era aerial photograph shows the heart of historic Ellicott City (one of my stomping grounds during my teen years, by the way). The photograph provides a lot of information. First, old Route 40 (nor SR 144) enters from Baltimore County on the right and crosses the arched bridge into Howard County. Then, it passes under the B&O railroad trestle and past a long row of 18th and 19th century granite buildings. In the Patapsco River just above the highway bridge are the remnants of the old trolley bridge. On the Baltimore County side, on the right of the photograph is one of the Ellicott brothers' houses. I believe that this house was moved in the late 1980's to the south side of the road. The old county courthouse is visible in the upper left corner.

Photo courtesy of the Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, HAER,MD,14-ELLCI,11-3. B&O Train Station. The view is to the south. The world's first railroad system, the B&O, began in Baltimore. In their early days, the company built a line to Ellicott's Mills (now Ellicott City). This station is the oldest in the world. In the aftermath of Hurricane Agnes (which came through this area like a giant plumber's snake), dozens of the original granite railroad ties (sleepers) were unearthed. This photograph show the Ellicott City railroad station and the trestle over Main Street (old Route 40). It was from this platform that George Stewart took his Ellicott City photograph for U.S. 40 in 1950. Below is a street level view of the trestle. Photo courtesy of the Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, HAER,MD,14-ELLCI,11-4.

Photo courtesy of the Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, HAER,MD,14-ELLCI,11-5. This view of the train station is taken from the intersection with Maryland Avenue. Note the absence of traffic lights. Below is a view of the station from south of the station. Photo courtesy of the Historic American Engineering Record, Library of Congress, HAER,MD,14-ELLCI,11-6.

Photo by E. H. Pickering, August 1936.