 |
| Naval Academy Junction Photo courtesy of the Odenton Heritage Society
A while back in downtown Odenton, a locomotive and several cars were diverted to the railroad tracks next to Walgreens (Piney Orchard Parkway). Seeing a train sitting on the tracks in that part of Odenton reminded me of the history of those tracks and that Odenton was born from the railroad. That spur of track from the MARC station to Academy Junction is the last existing and active rail of the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad (A&ERR). The A&ERR ran from Annapolis Junction (Howard County) through Odenton on its way to Annapolis. While you can still see remnants of the A&ERR right of way in the form of paths and utility lines, the rails that run next to Walgreen and Academy Unction plaza are the last remaining usable rails.
The A&ERR opened in 1840 as a way to connect passengers from the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to Annapolis. In 1868 the Baltimore and Potomac railroad opened crossing the A&ERR lines in Odenton. The Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis electric line also crossed the A&ERR at Naval Academy Junction (Now a shopping Center), which became the major transfer point for passengers traveling to and from Annapolis. The title picture shows Naval Academy Junction looking south down Piney Orchard Parkway. You can see the passenger pavilion and the crossing of the different rail lines. The A&ERR would have run horizontally in front of the pictured train between the station house and the passenger pavilion. The station building and tracks in this area are still there and although the pavilion is gone there is a grassy area and benches where the pavilion once stood. The train in the picture is from the WB&A electric railroad. Midshipman coming from Washington switched here from the WB&A to the A&ERR to continue east to the Naval Academy.
You have to take Route 50 out of your mind when thinking about Maryland transportation in the 19thand early 20thcenturies. To travel from Washington to Annapolis, a passenger would take the B&PRR to Odenton and transfer to the A&ERR. Academy Junction taking its name as the transfer point to reach the Naval Academy. President Lincoln passed through Odenton in 1865 on his way to Annapolis to board a ferry to Hampton, VA. I’ve scoured books and newspapers for any picture or hint of President Lincoln stepping off the train in Odenton. It seems that even in 1865 presidents were afforded special treatment as he had a private train that ran directly from Washington to Annapolis.
In your travels around the area, you can see evidence of the A&ERR right of ways and influence. The utility lines that follow Route 32 past the National Security Agency and also Route 178 through Crownsville to the Annapolis Mall and a hiker/biker trail along Poplar Avenue in Annapolis, all are built on the A&ERR right of way. The A&ERR ran from Academy Junction to what is now Route 175/Annapolis Road and along Route 175 through Gambrills along Maple and Holladay Roads. Sappington Station Road is named such because it was a stop along the A&ERR. There were also stops in Gambrills at Maple/Gambrills Roads and Holladay Street/Holladay Park Road.
Site of A&ERR bridge crossing Waterbury Road (2017)
On Waterbury Road in Millersville what looks like a hill on either side of the road is actually the remnants of an A&ERR bridge. At the beginning of the Civil War, Union soldiers were dispatched to repair the tracks at this bridge after Southern sympathizers destroyed the rails. After repairs, the Union soldiers guarded the rails of this railroad, as it was a major link between the North and the nation’s capital. Rail traffic through Baltimore had been disrupted as well as supplies, mail, and soldiers flowed through west Anne Arundel County and Annapolis on the A&ERR on the way to Washington.
Since the above picture was taken the area has been re-graded to allow for the new South Shore hiker/biker trail and improve driving visibility. The South Shore trail will run along the A&ERR rail bed from Odenton to Annapolis. After construction of the South Shore Trail, the area now appears as pictured below. The cement overlook area is where the original bridge once crossed.
South Shore Trail at Waterbury Road (Dec 2018)
South Shore Trail at Waterbury Road (Dec 2018)
Just a little bit of history that is right in front of you or under your feet every day. Please visit the Odenton Heritage Society website, http://www.odentonheritage.org, and the museum located at 1367 Odenton Road Odenton, MD.
An excellent website that provides a photo tour of the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad can be found at http://www.trainweb.org/oldmainline/wasaer1.htm
|
Monday, December 10, 2018
Derailed train
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)