Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

Phillip E. Thomas and George Brown spent the year 1826 investigating railway enterprises in England, which were at that time being tested in a comprehensive fashion as commercial ventures. With research completed, they held an organizational meeting in early 1827 that included influential Baltimore merchants or bankers. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road Company was chartered, with the task of building a railroad from the port of Baltimore west to a suitable point on the Ohio River.

The railroad, formally incorporated just a few months later in April was intended to provide not only an alternative to, but also a faster route for Midwestern goods to reach the East Coast than the existing National Pike and the seven-year-old, hugely successful, but slow Erie Canal across upstate New York.

It was equally important for Baltimore to uphold the economic advantage over Washington, D.C., which would benefit from the planned C & O Canal venture. A race would ensue between the B&O and C&O, with a ground breaking for the railroad on July 4th, 1828 the same day as the canal. As the C & O's construction began at Georgetown and would head northwest along the Potomac, the railroad commenced at Baltimore heading west to Ellicott Mills (today's Ellicott City).

A decision was made to follow the Patapsco River to a point near Parr's Ridge (Mt. Airy) where the railroad would cross the fall line and descend into the valley of the Monocacy and Potomac Rivers. By late 1831, the B&O had reached Monocacy Junction (just south of the town of Frederick) where a spur called the Frederick Branch, joined the growing town with the main line to Baltimore. Railroad construction would traverse southern Frederick County in a southwesterly direction reaching Point of Rocks on April 2 1832.

The village of Point of Rocks had already achieved national recognition in 1830 when the railroad and C&O Canal fought over the right of way between the narrow land pass separating Catoctin Mountain and the Potomac River. After a lengthy legal battle, both companies were allowed to build through the passage. The B & O's extension continued westward for the next 21 years, finally reaching its terminus at Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia) on January 1st, 1853.

The C&O and the B&O became so vital to local commerce that the Potomac Iron Company of Loudoun County (VA) built a bridge over the Potomac to Point of Rocks in 1853.  This new river crossing aided the transport of iron and grain to the canal and the railroad. At the time, the bridge at Point of Rocks was the only elevated crossing over the Potomac between Harper's Ferry (12 miles upriver) and the aqueduct bridge in Georgetown (40 miles downriver).

Later chapters of the B&O's local history include the tunneling through of Catoctin Mountain in 1867 and the building of one of its signature landmarks in 1876 -the Point of Rocks Station. Designed by architect E. Francis Baldwin, this train station is on the Historic National Register and remains a popular subject of railroad photography.

Point of Rocks bustled as a canal and railroad hub into the late 1800s, when rail and roads reduced the canal's importance. At the close of the 19th century, Point of Rocks would see its importance fade as the B&O built a six-mile rail yard along the river from 1890-1907 at the former small village known by the names of Berlin then Barry. The railroad changed the town's name in 1890 to Brunswick and by 1896 the town's population would grow tenfold in support of one of the nation's busiest freight yards.

While in this "Main Street Maryland" community, one finds the Brunswick of today a much quieter place. However, the town has kept its rich railroading heritage alive with the Brunswick Railroad Museum (which interprets the railroad's history and influence, and features a large model railroad exhibit) and the annual Brunswick Railroad Days weekend celebration in early October.

(To reach Brunswick from the CMNSB (US15) take MD 464west.)

Learn more about the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad