Frostburg
The National Road, Coal and Fancy Hotels
The National Road has sustained Frostburg
for almost two centuries. As the road was
being surveyed in 1811, Josiah Frost began
laying out lots. Businesses, serving passing
stagecoaches and wagons, soon lined a
developing Main Street.
By the 1850s, travel along the road was
eclipsed by railroads and canals. The town’s
prosperity continued, however, with a lively
trade in locally produced coal and fire bricks.
The Gladstone Hotel brought the big city to
Frostburg in 1897. Bellboys greeted the guests
and a New York chef impressed them with his
culinary skills. There were a hundred rooms, a
café and a barbershop. The fifth floor
observatory allowed guests a view of the
beautiful countryside. Tennis courts and a petting
farm provided recreation and entertainment for
guests and their children. The hotel was revived by
the advent of the automobile, and its purchase by
William Gunter. Today, the Gunter Hotel still
welcomes travelers along the Historic National Road.
(caption) You can still see the
cockfighting arena and a jail
that William Gunter added to
the hotel in 1903 to bring in a
few extra dollars. Lawmen
escorting prisoners along the
National Road enjoyed a
comfortable night’s rest while
the prisoners were secure below.
(caption) Frostburg’s lively Main Street
in the 1930s. The Gunter Hotel
was a popular stop on the old
National Road.
Marker is on East Main Street west of Water Street, on the right when traveling east.
Courtesy hmdb.org
