An "All American Road"

• Download a PDF of the article

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this article. Click here to download this free program.

Ohio’s National Road, also named the "Scenic and Attractive Main Street of America," has received the most prestigious designation in the National Scenic Byways Program, the "All American Road". The groundwork for receiving this designation began in 1995 when the Ohio Historic Preservation office appointed a state-wide steering committee. Ohio’s national road is lined with historic attractions including Springfield’s Pennsylvania House.

The following is a timetable of this road’s historic past:

	•	President Thomas Jefferson signed the legislation in 1806 allowing the construction of the first federally-funded interstate highway.
	•	Construction began in Cumberland, Maryland in 1811.
	•	The National Road reached Springfield around 1848, but the federal funding for the road ran out and construction was forced to stop.
	•	When federal funding ran out, each state was given responsibility for its portion of the road. Ohio picked up construction in Springfield around 1848.
	•	Springfield was the first to have a Madonna of the Trail statue dedicated by the Daughters of the American Revolution on its portion of the road.

Plans have been made to design signage to mark spots along the road, and a marketing plan is being created. Receiving this designation is an honor that makes Ohio’s National Road eligible for federal funding.

For more information on the National Road and Ohio’s other historic attractions, contact the Ohio Historic Society or www.ohiohistory.org/resource/hispres.