LaVale Toll Gate House — Attraction in Maryland

Living in the past 🕰️

While on our summer trip, we made a stop at the Lavale Toll Gate House. They were not open to tour, but we did get a chance to walk around the outside. It is always so much fun checking out these places from the past, imagining what it was like to live during that time. We live very close to a few toll houses between Uniontown and Washington and it was really neat to come across another one.

It was painted white and had some lovely contrasting green trim and shutters. A perfect place to snap senior pictures or any others on the property.

One thing that’s very cool about this specific toll house is the fact that the tolls are actually still up, well, at least the concrete pieces on either side of the road. The toll houses that are near where we live do not have those pieces so that was really nice to come across. It led to the feeling of those times.

There was a pavilion just above on the property for picnics, bushes and flowers planted added to the charm of this roadside attraction.

Good for kids. Worth the stop 😊

*Wheelchair accessible parking lot...

Very nice historic site, that is fairly well-kept. The authentic touches inside the building (only seen through the window) appear correct for the time period. The signage on the building listing toll costs are very interesting and informative taking you back to a different time. There is a nice little picnic grove above the tollhouse with tables and a pavilion. Also some parking is available just below the picnic area. There is a brick comfort station featuring Mens and Womens, but the doors were locked at this Sunday's visit. There were no hours that this visitor noted showing times when the bathrooms or tollhouse were open to get inside. Further, no limit on use of picnic area was posted visibly. I would have liked to learn more about this space in person, but it seems Google, etc are your best sources of information. (I kept hoping a Keebler elf would pop out from one of the...

What a fantastic piece of American history just sitting on the side of the road. Unfortunately, the building is not open so you cannot go inside this gem, but please check it out. The national road, and thus the LaVame toll gate house, has seen our nation grow over the past 200 years. It is almost impossible to think of everything that has pass the front door. When driving by... stop. Think about what you are seeing and sensing and remember those who have...