Headley Inn- Zanesville, OH

I do love a good meandering road trip. A chance to explore back roads, and small towns; trips where you just never know what you’ll find. Trips of this nature require you to avoid anything developed by Eisenhower, and seek out older, more historic routes. An excellent example is the National Road, America’s first federally funded highway. For over 200 years intrepid travelers have used this route to travel west; for just about as long there have been inns along the route to accommodate them. Although most are long gone, several still remain open for business, such as the Headley Inn.

The National Road, which runs from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois, itself dates back to 1811. It incorporated parts of the earlier Cumberland Road, which was authorized by Thomas Jefferson in 1806. Originally, the National Road was to continue further west, but construction was halted following the Financial Panic of 1837. Today, the road largely aligns with U.S. 40, but many of the old National Highway stone mile markers remain intact. One such marker can be found in front of the Headley Inn, which was constructed in 1833 by Uzal Headley to lodge workers constructing the new western road.

Built from locally quarried 18 inch dressed sandstone blocks, the substantial inn boasted six fireplaces, with spiral staircases leading to sleeping quarters on the second floor. The ground floor contained a barroom and kitchen, essential to any inn worth stopping at, which remains true today. Once road construction was complete, the inn became a regular stage coach stop, welcoming weary road travelers. In fact, during this time, a network of inns formed along the road, spaced roughly 10 miles apart, the distance typically covered in one day by wagons or coaches.

Over the years, train travel diverted traffic from the road, and many of the inns were shuttered. Some, like the Headley, were used as storage areas, and even at times barns. Later, with the rise of the automobile, several of the old inns reopened. By 1933 it appears the Headley was back in business, and found its way into a mural at that year’s World’s Fair in Chicago. Later, it became a five star restaurant, site of many marriage proposals and anniversary celebrations.

While only a handful of these original inns remain, the Headley has fared very well. It luckily has been owned by people who considered themselves stewards of the old inn, and as such it remains much as it did in Uzal Headley’s day. Much of the interior is original, with beautiful wide plank wood floors, board and batten doors, and hand decorated baseboards.

As a bonus, previous owners had a 1777 log cabin moved to the property from Pennsylvania, which has been beautifully restored, and is also available for rental. For those who don’t love the idea of staying at a hosted bed and breakfast, this is a wonderful, detached option. It is also much quieter, as this portion of 40 can be a bit busy.

Zanesville itself is birthplace of Zane Grey, the author, and is home to one of the National Road’s more interesting features, the Y bridge. Originally constructed as a toll-bridge in 1814, the Muskingum River crossing has been replaced 5 times over the years, most recently in 1979. For golfers, the area is home to several excellent courses, including the Virtues, which always lands on Golf Digest’s Top 100 American Courses list. For those interested in roadside attractions, do not miss the old Longeberger Headquarters, which will likely be the largest basket you’ll ever see. It is also exactly the type of thing you expect to find while exploring back roads.

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