The Jug Bridge Marker

The Jug Bridge Marker currently sits just of Maryland Route 144, near its interchange with Interstate 70, but this is not its original location.  It once sat at one end of a bridge over the Monocacy River in Frederick, MD.  Because the monument resembles a demijohn, a type of whiskey jug popular in the 19th century, the bridge became known as the "Jug Bridge".  (It reminds me a bit of Buddhist stupas.)  There has even been a rumor that a real jug of whiskey is embedded somewhere within the monument.  In 1942, the bridge collapsed, and the monument was moved to where it is now.  From the parking lot, it's a short walk to the marker.  The marker, the rock in front of it and the plaque to right will be shown in greater detail below the fold.

Here's the marker, looking from the south.

The plaque explains the origin and history of the marker, and notes the visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to Frederick in 1824.

The rock next to the marker commemorates Lafayette's 1824 visit.  He had been involved in the American Revolution almost 50 years earlier.

Finally, here are the marker and the Lafayette stone from a different angle.

To learn more, go to Visit Maryland, Visit Frederick and Roadside America.