The historic community of Sang Run is located along the Youghiogheny River in the mountains of western Maryland. The drive to this remote pocket of the state is not the easiest, with twisty blacktop roads alternating between forested hillsides and open valleys. Accessing Sang Run requires a southern turn from Interstate 68 to a route that parallels the Youghiogheny River.
The Friends Store in Sangs Run has served the community for over a century, selling basic food staples, wild roots, locally made jams and bakery items. The rustic landmark, with its board and batten siding and distinct green tar paper roof, rests on 81 acres of land originally settled by John Friend in 1769 after bartering with the Shawnee Indian tribe. It was where fur trappers would sell their wares and where travelers, including George Washington, stayed. The Friends Store, now operated by the Maryland Park Service, is open each Monday in July and August.
Nearby is the quaint Sang Run Election House. In use from 1872 to 1972, the one-room building was listed as a State Historic Site in 1982.
Sang Run is a unique gem that is thankfully being preserved by the state of Maryland as a cultural resource. All too often, these links to our past are removed to make way for generic subdivisions, flashy shopping centers, and new roads, and it’s refreshing to see there is a part of this state that cares about its heritage. I am sure that there are many more communities, such as Sang Run, waiting to be discovered in this area.
2 Comments
Add Yours →This building is in dire condition. One wall has the siding pulling away, exposing the deteriorating structure underneath. Drastic intervention is needed to save this building.
I’m the 7th great grandson of John Friend and would be than happy to restore that building if someone would provide the specs or something really close to original structure..
John Albert
938 Southport Dr.
Medina, Ohio 44256
Email Eriemechllc@aol.com