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The Railroad in Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg’s history as a “railroad town” is epitomized in the center of Olde Towne through the landmarks of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station and Freight House. After much anticipation, the railroad came to Gaithersburg in 1873, in part due to the efforts of Francis Cassatt Clopper. There were several other proposed routes for the railroad to travel from Georgetown to Hagerstown. Near Hagerstown in Point of Rocks, Maryland, the Metropolitan Branch of the Railroad connected with the B & O Railroad.

The town’s growth and prosperity can be attributed to the advent of the railroad. The community became so progressive that it was the first in Montgomery County to install a telephone. The railroad also brought a larger summer community to Gaithersburg; the ease of travel allowed people to escape Washington, D.C. during the hot summer months. It also allowed farmers to ship products faster, thereby reducing the risk of spoilage.

Landmarks

The brick buildings that are, today, landmarks in Gaithersburg, were constructed in 1884 during the B & O Railroad’s expansion program. Ephraim Francis Baldwin, a Baltimore architect, designed the replacement buildings. Previously, a small frame building was in use as the depot. Along with the Gaithersburg Station, Baldwin also designed many of the other station houses on the Metropolitan Branch of the B & O, including Takoma Park, Woodside, Randolph, Linden, Derwood, Dickerson, Germantown, Kensington, Garrett Park, Boyds, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Point of Rocks, one of his most architecturally significant stations. The stations in Silver Spring, Kensington, Rockville, Gaithersburg and Dickerson are still standing.

An addition was made to the station in 1905 after double tracks were extended to the City. In the 1960’s, the station was threatened with demolition – decades of use had taken their toll on the station. In 1984 the City of Gaithersburg purchased the buildings from Chessie Systems and received grants for their restoration. In 1988 the City received a preservation award for the landmarks.

Commuter Service

One of the main functions of the railroad in the community is commuter service. The Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) system services the station and is an alternate means of transportation into Washington, D.C. According to Norris Walker of MARC, nearly 300 people travel eastbound toward Washington, D.C. on an average work day, with 30 or more traveling westbound to Martinsburg, West Virginia, and Point of Rocks, Maryland, from the Gaithersburg Station.

The west-end of the station now holds a retail coffee shop. The Freight House is now the Gaithersburg Community Museum, with permanent and rotating exhibits and a model railroad display. More than 120 years have passed and the station continues to serve the Gaithersburg community with daily service.