Historical Significance:
During the 1830’s the United States Government decided to turn over the maintenance of the National Road, first road built with Federal Funds and opened to the public in 1818, to the States through which it passed.
The road was expensive to maintain, with holes and ruts developing due to heavy transportation of good and people moving west and east.
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia (Now West Virginia) turned the road going from Cumberland, Maryland to Wheeling Creek, Va. Into a toll road.
Toll House’s were constructed about fifteen miles apart, for the purpose of collecting money for road maintenance and salary for Toll Keepers. The Toll House Keeper lived in the Toll House rent free, and received a salary of two hundred dollars a year.
The Petersburg Toll House was constructed of Native Stone from the specifications and drawings of Richard Delafield, Captain of Engineers. It was erected in 1835 according to an agreement between William Hopwood, contractor and Stephen Hill and Hugh Keys, Commissioners of the Cumberland Road, State of Pennsylvania, for the sum of $1,530. The Petersburg Toll House was know as Gate Number One, since it was the first Toll Gate after crossing the Maryland Line into Pennsylvania. (Wording from: http://www.pagenweb.org/~somerset/addison/tollhouse.htm)
