National Register of Historic Places

Packhorse Ford

Sharpsburg, Washington County, Maryland
Listed
June 14, 2015
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
15000349

About this property

Packhorse Ford, also known historically as Pack Horse Ford, Blackford's Ford and Boteler's Ford, is a historic crossing point of the Potomac River. It is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of downtown Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and south of Sharpsburg, Maryland, USA. The crossing was a Native American crossing site and eventually became a major crossing point in colonial times. During the American Civil War, it was used by military forces involved in the 1862 Battle of Antietam. The site of the ford is marked by a commemorative marker on the West Virginia side of the river, at the junction of River and Trough Roads. The ford was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Location

Sharpsburg, Washington County, Maryland
39.42961, -77.77976

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONMILITARY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Packhorse Ford

This page lists Packhorse Ford. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
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Nearby Historic Sites

Wilson-Miller Farm
Industrial
1.1 mi
Mount Airy
Industrial
1.5 mi
Antietam Iron Furnace Site and Antietam Village
Listed
2.2 mi
Highbarger, Jacob, House
Industrial
2.4 mi
Chapline, William, House
Industrial
2.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Antietam Ford
1862Civil War
1.1 mi
Battle of Shepherdstown (1862)
1862Civil War
1.2 mi
Antietam — Confederate River Crossing September 18-19
1862Civil War
1.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Packhorse Ford listed on the National Register?

Packhorse Ford was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 2015.

What type of historic resource is Packhorse Ford?

Packhorse Ford is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Packhorse Ford?

The period of significance for Packhorse Ford is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Packhorse Ford?

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