File:Middletown on Alternate Rt. 40.jpg

Summary

The heart of downtown Middletown on Alternate Rt. 40. See the old Main's Ice Cream sign on the left in front of the Main Cup restaurant on the site of the iconic ice cream shop, which closed in 1969.

The highway's path was blazed in the mid-18th century to connect the Hagerstown Valley and Shenandoah Valley with eastern Pennsylvania and central Maryland. In the early 19th century, US 40 Alternate's path was improved as part of a series of turnpikes to connect Baltimore with the eastern terminus of the National Road in Cumberland.

(Photo credit - You're Probably From Frederick, Md, If You Remember...)

Smoketown History (Brunswick, Md.) From their website: The Main Cup is located in Historic Downtown Middletown, Maryland. Its name is derived from the building's history, which began more than 100 years ago, when C.F. Main began making and selling ice cream here. Main's Ice Cream and Butcher Shop became a renowned Maryland institution as the business grew regionally. Presidents and state officials were known to stop at Main's on their way to Shangri-La, now known as Camp David. Ice cream was last churned here in 1969, and the Main family subsequently sold the factory.