35 Miles to Philadelphia - Coatesville, PA
N 39° 59.307 W 075° 47.531
18S E 432367 N 4426775
The most unique late 18th century milestone you'll ever find. This one, established in 1794, is built into a stone wall and is located 20 feet or so from the famous and historical Lincoln Highway, of course.
Waymark Code: WMACQ3
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 12/26/2010
Views: 6
This is a very old, curved white marker. It is embedded in an equally ancient stone wall. The bottom of the marker never actually touched the ground; it is suspended in the wall, flush with it, the curved top sticking out a half foot or so. The marker is about 4 feet tall in all and a foot wide and not very thick at all, maybe half a foot.
The marker is located on E Lincoln Hwy. (Bus. Rt. 30), near Veterans Dr., Cain Twp., just E of Coatesville. This turnpike predates the Lincoln Highway by about one hundred twenty-five years but was eventually included in it. Between Philadelphia and Lancaster, the Lincoln Highway followed Lancaster Pike. When Lancaster Pike was completed in 1795 as one of America’s first toll roads, it connected the largest city on the continent with the largest inland city in America. The crushed stone macadam surface that was state-of-the-art in the early-19th century would still be covering Lancaster Pike in the early-20th, and the tolls would stand until six years after its absorption by the Lincoln Highway. These markers were put in at its completion, or possibly during it. Records about that are sketchy.
I found another one of these mile markers a mile away traveling east which reads 34 M To P. It is no where as prestigious as this one, but historic nonetheless The inscription reads:
35 M
To
P
There is an historical marker a few feet away which kinda, sorta references this historical milestone. It reads:
This was the nation's first major toll road, built by a private company incorporated 1792 by the state legislature. Completed two years later and praised as the finest highway of its day, the stone-and-gravel turnpike stretched 62 miles. The 35th milestone out of Philadelphia was placed here. Early in the 20th century, this road was acquired by the state; it became part of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway and U.S. 30.
As for the accuracy, I extended a line from this point to Philadelphia and discovered that while the mark is only 33 miles and change to Independence Hall, it is exactly 35 miles to the very beginning of Route 30 at the Delaware River. Way cool!
There is also a photo album of all the mile makers in the area for miles and miles around which can be found HERE. The actual picture for this marker can be found at this LINK.
Parking is roadside.