Settled as a farming community before the Revolutionary War, Union Bridge was chartered by the Maryland General Assembly on May 2, 1872. Union Bridge was founded by the Farquhars of Pennsylvania. Many of the shade trees to be found in the town today are descendants of the two sugar maples brought from Brownsville, Pennsylvania by Mrs. Elizabeth Farquhar Wright.

While Union Bridge has grown slowly over the years, it has a proud heritage. In 1811, Jacob R. Thomas designed and assembled the world’s first reaping machine in Union Bridge. Noted sculptor, William Rinehart was born here. His works are to be found across the world including Washington, D.C. and Rome, Italy. The Western Maryland Railroad shops and offices were located here. Many innovations were spawned including the invention of the knuckle railroad coupler. In other notable areas, Union Bridge was the first small town to have electric lights, and President Hoover attended the A Friends Meeting with his family.

The town’s leading industry is the Lehigh Portland Cement Company which has employed a large portion of the towns people for decades.

UNION BRIDGE TOWN SEAL

        click on seal for larger view

THE SEAL OF THE TOWN OF UNION BRIDGE

The bridge, its building, and the purpose serv’d,
All these are in the name and seal preserv’d;
For, greater far, a lesson from the past,
Which shall the bridge, town, name, and seal outlast.
On land by early Quaker settlers found,
Where rolling waters mirror’d rolling ground,
The span of wood and stone, in union made,
That Buttersburg¹ might ply the butter trade
(For then were mov’d by foot or hoofs’ slow tread
Goods that by rail in latter days were sped),
More than opposing river banks, conjoin’d
Humanity, in hand and heart and mind.
The will of God, who watches from above,
That each sould hold his brother’s soul in love,
By aim and act an product then was shown,
Though simple were the thoughts, tools, wood, and stone;
Today, by sturdier stuff, ‘tis yet fulfill’d:
‘United’—hear the motto’s words—‘we build.’



Richard Eichman
Poet Laureate to the Town of Union Bridge
Creator and Painter of the Town Seal