Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops
Encyclopedia
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops is a historic industrial district in Martinsburg, West Virginia
. It is significant both for its railroading architecture by Albert Fink
and John Rudolph Niernsee
and for its role in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877
. It consists of three contributing buildings. The presence of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company in Martinsburg dates back to the late 1840s when the first engine and machine shops were erected for the expanding company.
seceded from the Union
in 1861, the region's social and government institutions were thrown in turmoil. The Civil War
decimated both the region and Martinsburg, specifically because of the railroad yards
.
Martinsburg, West Virginia
Martinsburg is a city in the Eastern Panhandle region of West Virginia, United States. The city's population was 14,972 at the 2000 census; according to a 2009 Census Bureau estimate, Martinsburg's population was 17,117, making it the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle and the eighth largest...
. It is significant both for its railroading architecture by Albert Fink
Albert Fink
Albert Fink was a German civil engineer. He is best known for his railroad bridge designs, and devising the Fink truss....
and John Rudolph Niernsee
John Rudolph Niernsee
John Rudolph Niernsee was an American architect, the head architect for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He was born as Johann Rudolph Niernsee in Vienna, Austria and immigrated to the United States in 1837, at age 22...
and for its role in the Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Great railroad strike of 1877
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States and ended some 45 days later after it was put down by local and state militias, and federal troops.-Economic conditions in the 1870s:...
. It consists of three contributing buildings. The presence of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
Company in Martinsburg dates back to the late 1840s when the first engine and machine shops were erected for the expanding company.
Ante bellum history
- February 28, 1827: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad is founded.
- May 21, 1842: The first steam locomotiveSteam locomotiveA steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
arrives in Martinsburg. - November 10, 1842: The first passenger train arrives in Martinsburg.
- 1848-1850: First roundhouseRoundhouseA roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
complex built at Martinsburg.
Civil War history
When VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
seceded from the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
in 1861, the region's social and government institutions were thrown in turmoil. The Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
decimated both the region and Martinsburg, specifically because of the railroad yards
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
.
- May 22, 1861: Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’sStonewall Jacksonຄຽשת״ׇׂׂׂׂ֣|birth_place= Clarksburg, Virginia |death_place=Guinea Station, Virginia|placeofburial=Stonewall Jackson Memorial CemeteryLexington, Virginia|placeofburial_label= Place of burial|image=...
troops stopped all trains going East at Martinsburg and Point of Rocks, MarylandPoint of Rocks, MarylandPoint of Rocks is a community in Frederick County, Maryland. It is named for the striking rock formation on the adjacent Catoctin Mountain, which were formed by the Potomac River cutting through the ridge in a water gap, a typical formation in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians...
during the Great Train Raid of 1861Great Train Raid of 1861Colonel Thomas Jackson's operations against the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1861 were aimed at disrupting a critical railroad used by the opposing Union Army as a major supply route and capturing the maximum number of locomotives and cars. During this point in the war, the state of Maryland's...
. Once he determined that all of the trains that could be caught were in his trap, he blew up the bridges to the West and blew down the rocks on the tracksRail tracksThe track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
to the East, and pirating of the B&O equipment began. In total, 42 locomotives and 386 cars were stolen and destroyed. 36-½ miles of track, 17 bridges, 102 miles of telegraph wire, the “Colonnade” Bridge and the B&O roundhouse and machine shops were destroyed.
- October 19, 1862: Roundhouse Complex burned by Confederate troopsConfederate States ArmyThe Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
under Colonel Jackson.
Post bellum history
In 1866, the B&O began reconstruction of the roundhouse and associated shops that stand on the site today, which were completed in 1872.- 1866-1872: Present roundhouse complex is re-built. Major buildings consisted of the West Roundhouse, East Roundhouse, Bridge & Machine Shop, and the Frog & SwitchRailroad switchA railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
Shop. - July 16, 1877: First nationwide strike, the Great Railroad Strike of 1877Great railroad strike of 1877The Great Railroad Strike of 1877 began on July 14 in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States and ended some 45 days later after it was put down by local and state militias, and federal troops.-Economic conditions in the 1870s:...
, begins when rail workers at Martinsburg start an action to protest pay cuts. Their work and traffic stoppage soon spread across the country.
Modern history
The facilities were used until the mid-1980s when all local operations were transferred to other locations and the complex remained vacant until restoration began in 1999.- March 14, 1988: Facility closed down operations.
- May 14, 1990: Young vandals set fire to wooden pallets in East Roundhouse (later of the two) nearly totally destroying the building.
- 1999-2000: Berkeley CountyBerkeley County, West VirginiaBerkeley County is a county located in the Eastern Panhandle region of the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, the population is 104,169, making it the second-most populous county in West Virginia, behind Kanawha...
Commission purchase roundhouse complex and transfers property to newly created Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority. Restoration and renovation of complex begins. - July 30, 2003: B & O Roundhouse is designated a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
External links
- Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority - Preservation and rehabilitation agency
- Scale Drawings of East and West Roundhouses
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Martinsburg Repair Shops, West Side of Tuscarora Creek Opposite East End of Race Street, Martinsburg, Berkeley, WV: 11 photos, 4 data pages, and 1 photo caption page at Historic American Building Survey