Maryland Route 238
Encyclopedia
Maryland Route 238 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Maryland
. The state highway runs 10.83 miles (17.4 km) from MD 242
in Bushwood
north to MD 5
in Helen
. MD 238 is a C-shaped highway in western St. Mary's County, connecting Bushwood and Helen with Maddox
and Chaptico
, where the highway intersects MD 234
, which heads west toward U.S. Route 301
. What is now MD 238 was originally parts of two different highways: Maddox Road was MD 238 from Bushwood to Chaptico while Chaptico Road was the easternmost part of MD 234 from Chaptico to Helen. The highways were constructed as gravel roads in the late 1920s and early 1920s, respectively. MD 238 was extended from Chaptico to Helen when MD 234 was moved to its present course toward Leonardtown
in the early 1960s.
, as the highway begins to curve to the north. The state highway continues north through the village of Maddox, where the highway intersects Mill Point Road and Manor Road. Mill Point Road heads west to the Mill Point Shores community at the confluence of Chaptico Bay with the Wicomico River. Manor Road heads east across Bull Run toward the historic home Bachelor's Hope
. MD 238 veers to the northeast, begins to parallel the edge of the lowlands along Chaptico Run, and crosses Burroughs Run and Nelsons Run. The state highway reaches the community of Chaptico, where the highway passes Christ Episcopal Church
before meeting MD 234 (Budds Creek Road) at a roundabout
. MD 238 continues east as Chaptico Road toward the community of Helen. The state highway intersects the unnamed old alignment of MD 5, which is unsigned MD 5B, at a perpendicular intersection before reaching its eastern terminus tangent to a curve of MD 5 (Point Lookout Road).
{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Bushwood
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Chaptico
|7.17
|
|Roundabout
|-
|Helen
|10.83
|
|Northern terminus
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The state highway runs 10.83 miles (17.4 km) from MD 242
Maryland Route 242
Maryland Route 242 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Colton Point Road, the state highway runs from Coltons Point north to MD 5 in Morganza. MD 242 connects the communities of Morganza, Clements, Bushwood, Avenue, and Coltons Point in western St. Mary's County. The...
in Bushwood
Bushwood, Maryland
Bushwood is an unincorporated community in what is familiarly called the "Seventh District" of St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. Ocean Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.-References:...
north to MD 5
Maryland Route 5
Maryland Route 5 is a long state highway that runs north–south in the U.S. state of Maryland. The highway runs from Point Lookout in St. Mary's County north to the Washington, D.C. border in Suitland, Prince George's County....
in Helen
Helen, Maryland
Helen is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
. MD 238 is a C-shaped highway in western St. Mary's County, connecting Bushwood and Helen with Maddox
Maddox, Maryland
Maddox is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
and Chaptico
Chaptico, Maryland
Chaptico is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. It lies on Chaptico Run, which forms a bay as it enters the Wicomico River.-History:...
, where the highway intersects MD 234
Maryland Route 234
Maryland Route 234 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known as Budds Creek Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 301 in Allens Fresh east to MD 5 in Leonardtown. MD 234 is the primary east–west highway of southern Charles County and western St...
, which heads west toward U.S. Route 301
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland
U.S. Route 301 in Maryland is a major highway that runs from Delaware to the Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial Bridge into Virginia. It passes through three of Maryland's four main regions: the Eastern Shore, the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area, and Southern Maryland...
. What is now MD 238 was originally parts of two different highways: Maddox Road was MD 238 from Bushwood to Chaptico while Chaptico Road was the easternmost part of MD 234 from Chaptico to Helen. The highways were constructed as gravel roads in the late 1920s and early 1920s, respectively. MD 238 was extended from Chaptico to Helen when MD 234 was moved to its present course toward Leonardtown
Leonardtown, Maryland
Leonardtown is a town in and the county seat of St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,896 at the 2000 census. Leonardtown is perhaps most famous for the national oyster-shucking championship that occurs annually at the St...
in the early 1960s.
Route description
MD 238 begins at an intersection with MD 242 (Colton Point Road) near Bushwood. The state highway heads northwest as two-lane Maddox Road through a mix of farmland and forest, passing by the hamlet of Bushwood, where the highway intersects Bushwood Road. MD 238 passes to the west of Longview Beach, a community on the Wicomico RiverWicomico River (Potomac River)
The Wicomico River is a tributary of the lower tidal portion of the Potomac River located in the U.S. state of Maryland south of Washington, DC. The river empties into the Potomac at Cobb Island and St. Margaret's Island. The Wicomico's watershed drains of Charles, St. Mary's, and southern Prince...
, as the highway begins to curve to the north. The state highway continues north through the village of Maddox, where the highway intersects Mill Point Road and Manor Road. Mill Point Road heads west to the Mill Point Shores community at the confluence of Chaptico Bay with the Wicomico River. Manor Road heads east across Bull Run toward the historic home Bachelor's Hope
Bachelor's Hope (Chaptico, Maryland)
Bachelor's Hope is a historic home located at Chaptico, St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is known for the two-story brick central block with a jerkinhead roof, which contains one large ground-floor room. On either side are one-story, two-room brick wings...
. MD 238 veers to the northeast, begins to parallel the edge of the lowlands along Chaptico Run, and crosses Burroughs Run and Nelsons Run. The state highway reaches the community of Chaptico, where the highway passes Christ Episcopal Church
Christ Episcopal Church (Chaptico, Maryland)
Christ Episcopal Church is a historic church located at Chaptico, St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. It was constructed in 1736 of Flemish bond brick construction with glazed headers, 60 feet long and 40 feet wide, with an original semicircular brick apse. In 1916, a three-story brick...
before meeting MD 234 (Budds Creek Road) at a roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
. MD 238 continues east as Chaptico Road toward the community of Helen. The state highway intersects the unnamed old alignment of MD 5, which is unsigned MD 5B, at a perpendicular intersection before reaching its eastern terminus tangent to a curve of MD 5 (Point Lookout Road).
History
The present course of MD 238 was constructed as two highways: MD 234 from Chaptico to Helen and MD 238 from Bushwood to Chaptico. MD 234, which originally had its eastern terminus at Helen, was constructed as a gravel road from Chaptico to Helen around 1923. MD 238 was built as a gravel road from Chaptico to Maddox in 1925 and 1926. The Maddox–Bushwood portion of MD 238 was completed in 1930. MD 234's eastern terminus was originally a T-intersection where traffic on MD 5 had to make a right turn to continue on that highway. MD 234 was extended a short distance east when MD 5's present curve at Helen was constructed around 1934. In 1961, MD 234's eastern terminus was moved from MD 5 at Helen to MD 5 near Leonardtown, assuming the original MD 237 in the process. MD 238 was then extended east along Chaptico Road to Helen. The roundabout at the intersection of MD 238 and MD 234 in Chaptico, the first roundabout in St. Mary's County, was constructed in 2007.Junction list
The entire route is in St. Mary's County.{|class=wikitable
!Location
!Mile
!Destinations
!Notes
|-
|Bushwood
Bushwood, Maryland
Bushwood is an unincorporated community in what is familiarly called the "Seventh District" of St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. Ocean Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.-References:...
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus
|-
|Chaptico
Chaptico, Maryland
Chaptico is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. It lies on Chaptico Run, which forms a bay as it enters the Wicomico River.-History:...
|7.17
|
|Roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
|-
|Helen
Helen, Maryland
Helen is an unincorporated community in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States.-References:...
|10.83
|
|Northern terminus