East Side of Sideling Hill Mtn to Hancock, MD

Scenic US40 travels the circa 1950s alignment of the old National Road. This section of road saw continuous use until the completion of the Sideling Hill Mtn. I-68 Cut in 1985. Approximately half the way down the east side of Scenic US40, the abandoned route of the old National Road can be seen traveling in a northeasterly direction (MAP IT). The old Harvey House marks the east end of the abandoned section. (PDF Map of National Road from Harvey to Hancock circa 1901.

Old National Road East of Sideling Hill Mtn. Toward Hancock

The old National Road east of Sideling Hill Mtn. is called the Western Pike. It is south of Scenic US40. Take Scenic 40 to Rice Rd. and make a right. The Harvey House is to the left on Western Pike and Hancock is to right.

The Harvey House
The location of the Harvey House is often shown as "Harvey" on both old and new maps (Google Maps), but I can find no record of a post office with that name.

From Thomas Searight's book "The Old Pike":

Two miles west of the house of Nicodemus is Sideling Hill, so called from the sloping character of the ground upon which the road is laid. At the eastern foot of this hill Jacob Brosius kept an old wagon stand, and had a good share of custom. His house was a frame building and stood on the south side of the road. The distance from the foot to the summit of Sideling Hill is four miles, and it is the longest hill on the road. In 1837 Jacob Anderson, an old wagoner, was killed on Sideling Hill. His team became frightened on the summit and ran down the western slope, coming in contact with a large tree on the roadside with such foree as to break it down, and falling on Anderson, he was instantly killed. Isaac Browning. Caleb Langley and Black Westley, with their teams and wagons, were on the road with Anderson at the time of this accident. Anderson was a citizen of Loudon county, Virginia. Langley, Browning and West ley belonged to Fayette county, Pennsylvania.

From Thomas Searight's book "The Old Pike":

Two miles west of Hancock, one Nicodemus kept an old wagon stand. His first name has not been preserved, owing probably to the sublimity of his surname. He was known all along the road, but mentioned only as Nicodemus, His house was a frame building on the north side of the road, and he owned it. and died in it. He kept a good tavern, and was well patronized. Widow Downer kept this house before the time of Nicodemus.

Assuming Searight's distance estimates are correct, the inn mentioned above would be in the vicinity of the intersection of the old National Road and and Woodmont Road. This makes sense as this is where the earlier Fort Frederick to Fort Cumberland Road leaves the route of the later National Road.