Mechanicsburg Gap (also known as Mill Creek Gap) is a

water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a prac ...

through Mill Creek Mountain in Hampshire County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

. Mechanicsburg Gap allows for the passage of the

Northwestern Turnpike The Northwestern Turnpike is a historic road in West Virginia (Virginia at the time the road was created), important for being historically one of the major roads crossing the Appalachians, financed by the Virginia Board of Public Works in the 183 ...

( U.S. Route 50/

West Virginia Route 28 West Virginia Route 28 is a north–south route through the Potomac Highlands of the U.S. state of West Virginia. The southern terminus of the route is at West Virginia Route 39 in Huntersville. The northern terminus is at the Maryland state l ...

) and Mill Creek through Mill Creek Mountain. It takes its name from the community of Mechanicsburg at the gap's western entrance. Today, Mechanicsburg Gap has a number of interesting features within it. Near The Burg (an 18th-century home) lies the Romney Spring which flows from a PVC pipe at the foot of the gap which is visited daily by its patrons along the side of U.S. Route 50. Mechanicsburg Gap is also home to the now closed

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

rock

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some jurisdictions to reduce their envir ...

which has cut a massive hole into the gap's northern wall. Adjacent to the quarry is the former Evelyn's Restaurant, which was long a popular

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as ...

and truck stop. The site is now home to Good 'n Gooder, a store with a variety of used items.

External links

American Civil War sites in West Virginia Landforms of Hampshire County, West Virginia Hampshire County, West Virginia, in the American Civil War Valleys of West Virginia Northwestern Turnpike Water gaps of the United States {{HampshireCountyWV-geo-stub