As we traveled out on our search of bridges near Hagerstown, MD, we came across Wilson Village which is in Clear Spring, MD, along old US 40 near the Condcocheague Creek just west of Hagerstown.
As we walked around photographing this wonderfully restored complex, an older gentleman appeared out of nowhere and asked if we had any questions he could answer. We asked what kind of story the area had and in turn, we got a nice, detailed account of the history of Wilson Village.
He explained about Rufus Wilson (one of the nearby bridges we were on our way to photograph is called the Wilson Bridge, now I know why) who had built the store, blacksmith’s shop, a one-room school house and a post office in 1847 along what was then a thriving thoroughfare (called 'The National Pike'). He told us the story of how the property was passed down through family members eventually stopping with a woman who our tour guide explained ended up one day being his school teacher!
He remembered the area so fondly that when the opportunity arose in 1983, he and his wife bought the property and are currently in the process of restoring it to it's previous grandeur! Lewis Horst then took us over to a historical marker and showed us his name on the plaque! He seemed to be the type who would take us on a guided tour lasting several hours and let us explore everywhere we wanted to, but unfortunately we were getting short on time and had to cut the visit short. Some day though, it would be great to go back and see the rest of the restoration.
Here are a couple shots of the area....
Here's some more on the area if you're interested:
http://tinyurl.com/cjmvyln
The country store reflected in the water puddle is an awesome picture. Well done!
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