Van Metre Ford Bridge

This graceful native limestone triple-arch bridge was built across Opequon Creek in 1832 and was considered to be the oldest operational bridge in West Virginia when it was retired in 2016. The span remains as a monument and is open for pedestrian, non-motorized use.

John Van Metre acquired 800 acres on the east side of Opequon Creek in 1734. The Berkeley County Court commissioned Silas Harry, a Pennsylvania man who built bridges in Maryland, to construct a stone bridge across the Opequon at the old Warm Springs Road near the Van Metre property. This road began in Alexandria, Virginia, and extended over old Indian paths and wagon worn trails to the Warm Springs in Bath (now Berkeley Springs). The bridge played a significant part in the development of local transportation and helped spur commerce and communication by making the crossing of Opequon Creek easier and less expensive.

Nearby is the Henry Van Metre cemetery. Henry Van Metre built a large native limestone house near the bridge which was destroyed by fire in 1905.

Van Metre Ford Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

If you go: Located along Golf Course Road, Martinsburg; More information: 304-264-8801 • www.travelwv.com