Constructed in 1832 by Silas Henry of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the Van Metre Ford Bridge spans the Opequon Creek near present Route 36, on the old road from Alexandria, Virginia to the Warm Springs.  The bridge served both Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War and played an important part in the transportation development of the Eastern Panhandle.

The bridge is noted for its wide, graceful stone arches and rounded pilasters.  Built at a cost of $3,700, the native limestone bridge is considered a classic example of early American stonework.

 During the period 1828-34, stone bridges gave way to wooden bridges as they were cheaper and faster to build, with an abundance of raw material available in the form of the vast forests.