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Gaithersburg (MARC station)
Encyclopedia
Gaithersburg is a historic passenger rail station on the MARC Brunswick Line between Washington, D.C.
and Martinsburg, WV
(with a branch to Frederick, MD
). It is located on 5 South Summit Avenue and East Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg
, Montgomery County, Maryland
.
The station was originally built as the Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed in 1884, for the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
(B&O), The station was most likely designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin
, and consists of two historic buildings. The passenger station is a one-story common-bond brick structure with a gable
roof. About 90 feet to the east of the station is the freight shed or loading dock, a brick structure about 45 ft x 20 ft. Its north and south facades are divided into six panels with a door in the second and fifth bays on both sides. The station was extended to the east in 1905. When Amtrak
was established in 1971, B&O Passenger service was replaced by the Potomac Special, which itself was replaced by the Blue Ridge
in 1973. From 1976 to 1981 it also served another Amtrak train called the Shenandoah
. During that time, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978, and continued to serve Amtrak until 1986, when it was converted into a MARC station with the establishment of the Brunswick Line. A modern parking garage and pedestrian overpass can be found on the opposite side of South Summit Avenue.
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
and Martinsburg, WV
Martinsburg (Amtrak station)
Martinsburg Station is a railway station in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States served by Amtrak and MARC. The station also included the historic Baltimore and Ohio Railroad roundhouse, and Martinsburg Shops....
(with a branch to Frederick, MD
Frederick (MARC station)
Frederick is a passenger rail station on the MARC Brunswick Line between this station and Washington, D.C.. This is one of two stations on the Frederick branch. The station is also a major hub for buses of the TransIT Services of Frederick, Maryland....
). It is located on 5 South Summit Avenue and East Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Gaithersburg is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The city had a population of 59,933 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville...
, Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County, Maryland
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland, situated just to the north of Washington, D.C., and southwest of the city of Baltimore. It is one of the most affluent counties in the United States, and has the highest percentage of residents over 25 years of age who hold post-graduate...
.
The station was originally built as the Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed in 1884, for the Metropolitan Branch 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...
(B&O), The station was most likely designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin
Ephraim Francis Baldwin
Ephraim Francis Baldwin was an American architect, best known for his work for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and for the Roman Catholic Church.-Personal life:...
, and consists of two historic buildings. The passenger station is a one-story common-bond brick structure with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
roof. About 90 feet to the east of the station is the freight shed or loading dock, a brick structure about 45 ft x 20 ft. Its north and south facades are divided into six panels with a door in the second and fifth bays on both sides. The station was extended to the east in 1905. When Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
was established in 1971, B&O Passenger service was replaced by the Potomac Special, which itself was replaced by the Blue Ridge
Blue Ridge (Amtrak)
The Blue Ridge was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington, D.C. and Martinsburg, West Virginia. The Blue Ridge began on May 6, 1973 as a truncated Potomac Special, which had run all the way to Parkersburg, West Virginia...
in 1973. From 1976 to 1981 it also served another Amtrak train called the Shenandoah
Shenandoah (Amtrak)
The Shenandoah was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, Ohio. The Shenandoah shared the former Baltimore & Ohio route with the Blue Ridge, which ran as far west as Martinsburg, West Virginia....
. During that time, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1978, and continued to serve Amtrak until 1986, when it was converted into a MARC station with the establishment of the Brunswick Line. A modern parking garage and pedestrian overpass can be found on the opposite side of South Summit Avenue.
Gallery
External links
- Gaithersburg station official website
- Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed, Montgomery County, Inventory No.: M: 21-151, M: 21-157, including photo in 1974, at Maryland Historical Trust website
- Station from Summit Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View