The Northern Central Railway (NCRY) was a Class I Railroad in the United States connecting Baltimore, Maryland , with Sunbury, Pennsylvania , along the Susquehanna River . Completed in 1858, the line came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) in 1861, when the PRR acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock to compete with the rival Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O).
152-457: Howard Street is a major north–south street through the central part of the city of Baltimore, Maryland . About 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (4 km) long, the street begins at the north end of I-395 near Oriole Park at Camden Yards and ends near Johns Hopkins University , where it splits. To the right, it becomes Art Museum Drive , the one-block home of the Baltimore Museum of Art . To
304-463: A 19th-century carriage trade store, which closed in 1954. Despite much redevelopment in Central Baltimore, these blocks of Howard have been largely abandoned for 40 years or more. Notable landmarks on or near Howard Street include: In the downtown area, a tunnel owned by CSX Transportation runs below Howard Street. This tunnel was first proposed in the 1880s and built in the 1890s as part of
456-513: A Town on the North side of the Patapsco River." Surveyors began laying out the town on January 12, 1730. By 1752 the town had just 27 homes, including a church and two taverns. Jonestown and Fells Point had been settled to the east. The three settlements, covering 60 acres (24 ha), became a commercial hub, and in 1768 were designated as the county seat. The first printing press was introduced to
608-628: A charter for the B&;S company was initially rejected. Nevertheless, construction of the Baltimore & Susquehanna Railroad began in 1829, following the Jones Falls valley, and in 1831 reached Roland Run, at what today is Lake Roland . Construction had not been easy—the terrain north and west of Baltimore and Philadelphia presented significant challenges for building railroads. The only routes open to them were along fast-moving streams (called “Falls” because
760-589: A clash between local youth and police that resulted in a state of emergency declaration and a curfew. Baltimore has seen the reopening of the Hippodrome Theatre in 2004, the opening of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture in 2005, and the establishment of the National Slavic Museum in 2012. On April 12, 2012, Johns Hopkins held a dedication ceremony to mark
912-469: A consolidated company, the Northern Central Railway did very well in many ways: from 1856 to 1860 its business saw an 80% increase. Its operations became more organized and efficient, with standardized schedules that reduced both travel and shipping times. The company also added telegraph service, putting telegraph lines along its whole route, with telegraphing facilities in every major station by
1064-613: A deal. He wanted to see trade with Baltimore rather than isolated rivalry, so with his influence the railroad and the state legislature reached an agreement. If Maryland wanted railroad access to the Susquehanna River, the Maryland legislature would have to approve completion of a canal from Chesapeake Bay to the navigable portion of the river. Maryland had wanted just such a canal for over 20 years, and they readily agreed. However, Pennsylvania lawmakers still wanted any railroad operating in
1216-593: A decline in major manufacturing, heavy industry , and restructuring of the rail industry , Baltimore has shifted to a service-oriented economy . Johns Hopkins Hospital and University are the top employers. Baltimore is home to the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball , and the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League . Many Baltimore neighborhoods have rich histories. The city
1368-543: A good portion of the tracks on the main route between Baltimore and Lemoyne had been upgraded, with yet more financial support from the Maryland legislature. Work on replacing the bridges would go on for several more years. Belvedere Station in Baltimore was also being overrun by the increased number of trains and passengers, so in 1848 the company began building a new station for passenger service. The Calvert Street Station , located on North Calvert Street at East Franklin Street,
1520-568: A leading 4-wheel truck that swiveled, and using just two driving wheels, for a 4-2-0 pattern. The Herald began twice-daily round trips to Green Spring Valley and Owings Mills beginning in October, 1832. This section of the line became known as the Green Spring Branch , and would later take on a life of its own. The B&S had continued to seek permission to enter Pennsylvania, and in 1831 Pennsylvania’s Governor George Wolf stepped in to broker
1672-681: A line connecting Sunbury and Harrisburg. In fact the Sunbury group tried to do that almost immediately, even as the Susquehanna Railroad was building north. Although their claim-jumping attempt was quickly stopped (one of the Susquehanna's major stockholders, William Fisher Packer , was a future governor of Pennsylvania), city and railroad officials in Sunbury still saw the NCRY as a hostile intruder. Because of this, passengers and freight reaching Sunbury on
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#17328595954281824-493: A method to determine the color the bridge should be painted. On November 17, 2011, Occupy Baltimore protesters marched on the Howard Street Bridge. The bridge was chosen by the protesters because they said it was a symbol of the city's decaying infrastructure and the need to get Americans back to work. During the 1980s, a series of decorative arches were installed along the downtown part of Howard Street in order to add
1976-607: A minority. The Baltimore Council passed the ordinance, and it became law on December 20, 1910, with Democratic Mayor J. Barry Mahool 's signature. The Baltimore segregation ordinance was the first of its kind in the United States. Many other southern cities followed with their own segregation ordinances, though the US Supreme Court ruled against them in Buchanan v. Warley (1917). The city grew in area by annexing new suburbs from
2128-533: A number of employees or residents along its route gave refuge to people fleeing enslavement. But as armed conflict became increasingly likely, the Northern Central was also affected financially: investors grew hesitant about keeping stock in a railroad so close to the expected military front. While the railroad’s strategic location would help it earn money by moving troops and materiel, its location would also make it vulnerable to attack. Already in 1860, aware of
2280-562: A part in the American Revolution . City leaders such as Jonathan Plowman Jr. led many residents to resist British taxes , and merchants signed agreements refusing to trade with Britain. The Second Continental Congress met in the Henry Fite House from December 1776 to February 1777, effectively making the city the capital of the United States during this period. Baltimore, Jonestown , and Fells Point were incorporated as
2432-722: A period of dormancy in Baltimore City archaeological findings which had persisted since the 1980s. During the Late Woodland period, the archaeological culture known as the Potomac Creek complex resided in the area from Baltimore south to the Rappahannock River in present-day Virginia . The city is named after Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore , an English peer, member of the Irish House of Lords and founding proprietor of
2584-517: A process that turned out to be quite messy and expensive with little return. Part of this line was rebuilt in 1847 on private property, to try to get rails off of city streets so that locomotives could pull the cars rather than using horses. Beginning in 1850 the B&S had purchased parcels of land in the Canton area, on the northeast side of the harbor, and began extending their track to that area. However, several lawsuits and then an injunction requested by
2736-538: A railroad would be feasible, the York County group asked the General Assembly of Maryland to grant a railroad charter. This was approved on February 13, 1828, with an initial stock outlay of $ 800,000. The B&S was the second designated rail system in the state, given authority to construct a railroad from Baltimore northeast to York Haven, Pennsylvania , on the Susquehanna River. George Winchester, president of
2888-460: A railroad. Originally the Catawissa, Williamsport & Erie Railroad had a contract to provide railroad service on the Sunbury and Erie’s tracks, but once the NCRY did connect with the Sunbury and Erie, the NCRY was given that contract; the two companies agreed that when the Sunbury and Erie had acquired enough rolling stock, they would share use of the tracks between Williamsport and Harrisburg. As
3040-646: A slave state, Maryland was not friendly territory for Lincoln, and fears arose of a plot to assassinate him while in Baltimore. Lincoln’s security staff, including Allan Pinkerton , decided to change both the route and the schedule of the trip. From Harrisburg they took the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad instead, to its station on President Street rather than the NCRY’s Calvert Street Station. Further, to prevent detection they cut telegraph lines between Harrisburg and Baltimore, blacked out
3192-474: A unique skyline peppered with churches and monuments developed. Baltimore acquired its moniker "The Monumental City" after an 1827 visit to Baltimore by President John Quincy Adams . At an evening function, Adams gave the following toast: "Baltimore: the Monumental City—May the days of her safety be as prosperous and happy, as the days of her dangers have been trying and triumphant." Baltimore pioneered
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#17328595954283344-573: A unique style to the area and its shops. However, when light rail construction began, most of these arches had to be removed because trains would not have been able to pass underneath. On July 18, 2001, a freight train in the tunnel below Howard Street derailed , causing a chemical fire that raged for six days and did damage to Howard Street and the light rail that took several months to repair. 39°17′44″N 76°37′11.35″W / 39.29556°N 76.6198194°W / 39.29556; -76.6198194 Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore
3496-483: Is Baltimore's nonprofit historic and architectural preservation organization, which works to preserve and promote Baltimore's historic buildings and neighborhoods. Baltimore is officially divided into nine geographical regions: North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West, Northwest, and Central, with each district patrolled by a respective Baltimore Police Department . Interstate 83 and Charles Street down to Hanover Street and Ritchie Highway serve as
3648-583: Is a neoclassical design by Benjamin Latrobe, and one of the oldest Catholic cathedrals in the United States. In 1813, Robert Cary Long Sr. built for Rembrandt Peale the first substantial structure in the United States designed expressly as a museum. Restored, it is now the Municipal Museum of Baltimore, or popularly the Peale Museum . The McKim Free School was founded and endowed by John McKim. The building
3800-400: Is bordered by Anne Arundel County to the south. Baltimore exhibits examples from each period of architecture over more than two centuries, and work from architects such as Benjamin Latrobe , George A. Frederick , John Russell Pope , Mies van der Rohe , and I. M. Pei . Baltimore is rich in architecturally significant buildings in a variety of styles. The Baltimore Basilica (1806–1821)
3952-550: Is home to some of the earliest National Register Historic Districts in the nation, including Fell's Point , Federal Hill , and Mount Vernon . Baltimore has more public statues and monuments per capita than any other city in the country. Nearly one third of the buildings (over 65,000) are designated as historic in the National Register , more than any other US city. Baltimore has 66 National Register Historic Districts and 33 local historic districts. The historical records of
4104-806: Is now a fallen flag railway, having come under the control of Conrail and then the Norfolk Southern Railway . Trackage from Camden Station in Baltimore to Timonium, Maryland , remains in service as part of the Baltimore Light RailLink line, while much of the line in Pennsylvania is operated by the Norfolk Southern for freight service. The Northern Central Railway of York , a heritage railway , operates on former Northern Central track between New Freedom and Hanover Junction, Pennsylvania . The route between York, Pennsylvania , and
4256-443: Is one of few remaining structures of its kind. It was constructed without the use of exterior scaffolding. The Sun Iron Building, designed by R.C. Hatfield in 1851, was the city's first iron-front building and was a model for a whole generation of downtown buildings. Brown Memorial Presbyterian Church , built in 1870 in memory of financier George Brown , has stained glass windows by Louis Comfort Tiffany and has been called "one of
4408-530: Is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland . With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census , it is the 30th-most populous US city . Baltimore was designated as an independent city by the Constitution of Maryland in 1851, and is the most populous independent city in the nation. As of 2020 , the population of the Baltimore metropolitan area was 2,838,327, the 20th-largest metropolitan area in
4560-444: Is the tallest equilateral pentagonal building in the world at 405 feet (123 m) tall. The Harbor East area has seen the addition of two new towers which have completed construction: a 24-floor tower that is the new world headquarters of Legg Mason , and a 21-floor Four Seasons Hotel complex. The streets of Baltimore are organized in a grid and spoke pattern, lined with tens of thousands of rowhouses . The mix of materials on
4712-710: The Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Railroad in 1852; in 1853 the company changed its name to the Western Maryland Railway . Their goal was to build from the end of the line at Owings Mills towards Hagerstown , where they could connect to the Cumberland Railroad. After exploring options, the Western Maryland Company purchased the Green Spring Branch from the B&S on October 1, 1857, with
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4864-657: The Baltimore Convention Center (1979). Harborplace , an urban retail and restaurant complex, opened on the waterfront in 1980, followed by the National Aquarium , Maryland's largest tourist destination, and the Baltimore Museum of Industry in 1981. In 1995, the city opened the American Visionary Art Museum on Federal Hill. During the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the United States , Baltimore City Health Department official Robert Mehl persuaded
5016-461: The Baltimore Ravens football team moved into M&T Bank Stadium next to Camden Yards. Baltimore has had a high homicide rate for several decades, peaking in 1993, and again in 2015. These deaths have taken an especially severe toll within the black community. Following the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015, the city experienced major protests and international media attention, as well as
5168-416: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad . Antique Row is a cluster of antique shops along the 800 block of North Howard Street in downtown. It dates back to the late 19th century as a cabinetmaking center. In the 1950s Antique Row was at its height, and there were over 50 shops. In the 1960s, the expansion of Maryland General Hospital eliminated those on the west side of the street. Antique Row declined further when
5320-565: The Battle of Gettysburg , including Union Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles , were evacuated via the Northern Central to hospitals in Harrisburg, Baltimore, York, and elsewhere. The Northern Central was attacked again on July 10, 1864, when a 130-man Confederate cavalry detachment attacked the line near Cockeysville, under orders from Gen. Bradley T. Johnson . After cutting telegraph wires along Harford Road, they encamped at Towson overnight. The next day,
5472-574: The Central Light Rail line , Howard Street was made one-way in a northbound direction between Pratt Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard ; as such, southbound traffic now uses Eutaw Street , one block to the west. The light rail runs along Howard Street within this area, which is most of Downtown Baltimore , and near Howard Street for much of the remainder of its route in the downtown area. Howard Street around Lexington and Clay Streets
5624-643: The Green Spring Valley , reaching the Reisterstown Road at Owings Mills in August, 1832. Connecting to the turnpike allowed the railroad to collaborate with stage companies to carry U.S. mail north from Baltimore. In the meantime, the B&S Company also built the Green Spring Hotel just east of Garrison , so that when the railroad reached that point, they could begin to carry tourists from Baltimore to
5776-471: The Inner Harbor . The lack of activity on Howard Street has resulted in an increase in crime and fewer visitors. In turn, the decline in customers is causing shop owners and dealers to move in search of better business; the owners of one long-time shop downsized and moved to a stall. Antique Row is known for its contribution to the community as well as its vast collection of antiques. The neighborhood supports
5928-443: The J. E. Greiner Company to replace an earlier 19th-century iron arch bridge, the 979-foot-long (298 m) bridge begins shortly after the Mt. Royal Avenue underpass, and continues to the intersection at North Avenue . At times, there has been debate over what colors to paint the bridge. Request has been made from citizens to get involved in making the decision. Polling has been used as
6080-500: The Maryland Institute College of Art . The company also gained rail access to Baltimore Harbor by cooperating with the Baltimore and Ohio to construct a jointly owned track connecting Bolton Yard to the B&O line at Pratt Street, with permission to use the B&O's harbor freight terminals. Because much of the harbor line ran on city streets, however, a city ordinance allowed only the use of horses to pull freight cars to
6232-477: The Midwest . By 1820 its population had reached 60,000, and its economy had shifted from its base in tobacco plantations to sawmilling , shipbuilding , and textile production. These industries benefited from war but successfully shifted into infrastructure development during peacetime. Baltimore had one of the worst riots of the antebellum South in 1835, when bad investments led to the Baltimore bank riot . It
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6384-690: The Monocacy River in the vicinity of Westminster”: Westminster , in Carroll County , is on the very eastern edge of the Monocacy’s drainage area, while the river’s headwaters are actually farther north, in the area of Gettysburg and across the state line into Pennsylvania. In fact, the company set their sights at first only as far as Owings Mills , where several grist mills and other businesses were eager to pay for better transportation to markets. The new line started from Relay House and ran west through
6536-538: The National Aquarium , Maryland Science Center , Pier Six Pavilion , and Power Plant Live . Northern Central Railway For eleven decades, the Northern Central operated as a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad until much of its Maryland trackage was washed out by Hurricane Agnes in 1972, after which the Penn Central declined to repair destroyed sections and the remainder fell into disuse. It
6688-688: The National Guard , leaving 10 dead and 25 wounded. The beginnings of settlement movement work in Baltimore were made early in 1893, when Rev. Edward A. Lawrence took up lodgings with his friend Frank Thompson, in one of the Winans tenements, the Lawrence House being established shortly thereafter at 814-816 West Lombard Street. On February 7, 1904, the Great Baltimore Fire destroyed over 1,500 buildings in 30 hours, leaving more than 70 blocks of
6840-592: The Province of Maryland . The Calverts took the title Barons Baltimore from Baltimore Manor , an English Plantation estate they were granted in County Longford , Ireland . Baltimore is an anglicization of the Irish name Baile an Tí Mhóir , meaning "town of the big house". In the early 1600s, the immediate Baltimore vicinity was sparsely populated, if at all, by Native Americans. The Baltimore County area northward
6992-687: The Union during the American Civil War , following the 55–12 vote by the Maryland General Assembly against secession. Later, the Union's strategic occupation of the city in 1861 ensured Maryland would not further consider secession. The Union's capital of Washington, D.C. was well-situated to impede Baltimore and Maryland's communication or commerce with the Confederacy . Baltimore experienced some of
7144-660: The United Arab Emirates , and Michael Bloomberg . In September 2016, the Baltimore City Council approved a $ 660 million bond deal for the $ 5.5 billion Port Covington redevelopment project championed by Under Armour founder Kevin Plank and his real estate company Sagamore Development. Port Covington surpassed the Harbor Point development as the largest tax-increment financing deal in Baltimore's history and among
7296-655: The York and Cumberland Railroad Company (Y&C) on April 21, 1846, to connect the York & Maryland Line with the Cumberland Valley Railroad somewhere north of Mechanicsburg . The Y&C had trouble raising enough money within the state of Pennsylvania to begin construction, so its stock was made available on the open market. Investors in Baltimore purchased over $ 700,000 in Y&;C stocks and bonds, most of which were then sold to
7448-422: The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Public order was not restored until April 12, 1968. The Baltimore uprising cost the city an estimated $ 10 million (US$ 88 million in 2024). A total of 12,000 Maryland National Guard and federal troops were ordered into the city. The city experienced challenges again in 1974 when teachers, municipal workers , and police officers conducted strikes. By
7600-402: The deep South and by white suburbanization , the relative size of the city's black population grew from 23.8% in 1950 to 46.4% in 1970. Encouraged by real estate blockbusting techniques, recently settled white areas rapidly became all-black neighborhoods, in a rapid process which was nearly total by 1970. The Baltimore riot of 1968 , coinciding with uprisings in other cities , followed
7752-662: The B&O’s Camden Station, then traveled safely on to Washington, avoiding any assassination attempt. During the Civil War, the Pennsylvania Railroad-controlled Northern Central served as a major transportation route for supplies, food, clothing, and materiel , as well as troops heading to the South from Camp Curtin and other Northern military training stations. During the 1863 Gettysburg Campaign , Confederate Major General Jubal A. Early raided
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#17328595954287904-407: The Baltimore & Susquehanna Company. Once again, the B&S had financial control of a separate but extending railroad company; “Articles of Agreement” drawn up and signed on January 21, 1850, gave the Baltimore & Susquehanna outright operational control of the York and Cumberland Railroad. Beginning that year, track was laid north from York to the Susquehanna River at York Haven, and then along
8056-418: The Baltimore and Ohio put a stop to that line—the Canton harbor project had to be abandoned, and the B&S had to continue using horses to move freight to the City Dock. The expense of building the Susquehanna Railroad, beginning in 1853, combined with all these projects and their associated costs, led to bankruptcy for the Baltimore and Susquehanna Company and its associated lines. Acting in tandem, in 1854
8208-415: The Baltimore and Ohio’s station of the same name, around which the town of Relay, Maryland developed). Concerned that the Pennsylvania legislature might never approve their route to the Susquehanna River, in 1830 the B&S obtained an amendment to its charter from the Maryland legislature. The charter’s wording was somewhat ambiguous, stating that the end point of the new line would be “the headwaters of
8360-438: The Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad and the York and Cumberland loaned significant amounts to the SRR in exchange for stock in the new company. In 1852 and 1853 the Pennsylvania legislature authorized the York & Cumberland Railroad, the Wrightsville, York, and Gettysburg line, and/or the York and Maryland Line, separately or together, to subscribe or loan up to $ 500,000 to the capital-starved Susquehanna Railroad, and to permit
8512-429: The Baltimore and Susquehanna, even success was hurting the Northern Central—as they became a major coal-shipping firm, they also had to purchase more locomotives and freight cars, as well as passenger cars. The amount of coal carried overwhelmed their shipping facilities in Baltimore harbor, which were still limited by having to use horse-drawn trains on city streets. Once again the NCRY tried to build an off-street line to
8664-422: The Baltimore area and inhabited primarily the north bank of the Potomac River in what are now Charles and southern Prince George's counties in the coastal areas south of the Fall Line . European colonization of Maryland began in earnest with the arrival of the merchant ship The Ark carrying 140 colonists at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River on March 25, 1634. Europeans then began to settle
8816-412: The Canton harbor area, only to be met with the same legal difficulties and challenges in obtaining right-of-way. The Northern Central Railway ended the year 1860 with debts of $ 2.85 million but only $ 283,000 to go towards paying interest—it could not cover the annual $ 90,000 payment on the mortgage held by the state of Maryland. In fact, the state sought foreclosure late in 1860, a financial disaster that
8968-467: The City of Baltimore in 1796–1797. The city remained a part of surrounding Baltimore County and continued to serve as its county seat from 1768 to 1851, after which it became an independent city . The Battle of Baltimore against the British in 1814 inspired the U.S. national anthem, " The Star-Spangled Banner ", and the construction of the Battle Monument , which became the city's official emblem. A distinctive local culture started to take shape, and
9120-442: The Europeans. In 1661 David Jones claimed the area known today as Jonestown on the east bank of the Jones Falls stream. The colonial General Assembly of Maryland created the Port of Baltimore at old Whetstone Point, now Locust Point , in 1706 for the tobacco trade . The Town of Baltimore, on the west side of the Jones Falls, was founded on August 8, 1729, when the Governor of Maryland signed an act allowing "the building of
9272-420: The Green Spring Branch was returned to the Northern Central Railway, successor to the B&S. The Baltimore and Susquehanna was also involved with another railroad that would become part of the Western Maryland. Beginning in October 1852, the B&S contracted to operate the Hanover Branch Railroad , which had been incorporated independently in 1847 and constructed from Hanover, Pennsylvania , to connect with
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#17328595954289424-415: The Lancaster and Philadelphia Railroad going east, and the Cumberland Valley Railroad reaching southwest to Chambersburg . Ambitious plans were also underway to build a railroad west from Harrisburg to connect Philadelphia to Pittsburgh ; the Pennsylvania Railroad’s incorporation in April 1846, then, made Harrisburg an even more strategic terminus than Wrightsville. The Pennsylvania legislature chartered
9576-408: The Maryland-Pennsylvania line is now the York County Heritage Rail Trail , much of which is side-by-side with still-functioning track. Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail , a similar hike/bike trail in Northern Maryland, connects with the York County Heritage Rail Trail and continues down to Baltimore either on rural roads or the old railroad grade. The early history of the Northern Central Railway is really
9728-547: The NCRY had to be transferred to carriages or wagons, which would take them several blocks northeast to the Sunbury and Erie’s midtown terminal. By the end of 1858, however, the Northern Central Railway was operating the Sunbury and Erie Railroad. Like many early railroad companies, the Sunbury and Erie had trouble raising enough funds to cover the unforeseen high costs of construction. They had successfully built tracks to Williamsport and were trying to extend their line farther west, but they didn’t have any money for actually running
9880-430: The NCRY in York, burning some rolling stock and a few machine shops in the rail yard . To impair traffic between Baltimore and Harrisburg, his cavalry destroyed a large number of bridges in York County originally constructed by the B&S. They were quickly rebuilt by Herman Haupt and the U.S. Military Railroad in conjunction with the NCRY. Traffic resumed shortly thereafter, and thousands of wounded soldiers from
10032-416: The National Aquarium, Camden Yards have helped revive the Inner Harbor area from what once was an exclusively industrial district full of dilapidated warehouses into a bustling commercial district full of bars, restaurants, and retail establishments. After an international competition, the University of Baltimore School of Law awarded the German firm Behnisch Architekten 1st prize for its design, which
10184-441: The Northern Central Railway for quicker and smoother transportation to markets. Once in Sunbury, the NCRY could also connect with the Shamokin Valley and Pottsville Railroad, which carried coal from mines in the areas of Shamokin and Mount Carmel . The coal traffic would become a major source of revenue for the railroad. However, the Northern Central Railway had not yet actually made it in to Sunbury – rather, they were stopped at
10336-413: The Northern Central Railway was originally scheduled to be part of the highly publicized whistle-stop train ride organized to celebrate his inauguration. Having started days earlier from Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln’s train reached Harrisburg late on February 21, 1861. He planned to take the Northern Central to Baltimore, then transfer to the Baltimore and Ohio for the final leg into Washington, D.C. But as
10488-473: The Northern Central Railway—of which he was still a major stockholder. He was not very secretive in his dealings, and by January 1862 he was removed from office in the wake of significant allegations of fraud and corruption. But the War Department business had given the Northern Central enough cash to stop the state of Maryland’s second attempt at foreclosure in 1861, and even to pay off that debt completely in 1862. But before President-Elect Lincoln took office,
10640-464: The Northern Central, but shortly after Lincoln’s election, in early 1861, he dumped his NCRY stock. The Pennsylvania Railroad and Simon Cameron jumped at the chance to pick it up. PRR president Thomson individually purchased what amounted to just over 28% of the NCRY’s total stock. The Pennsylvania Railroad company also purchased some of Garrett’s stock, which was eventually combined with Thomson’s shares. In 1863, another 2500 NCRY shares became available on
10792-402: The Northern Central. A corrupt but powerful politician and businessman, he owned the company that built the line from Harrisburg to Sunbury. Abraham Lincoln ’s election in November 1860 on an anti-slavery platform increased tensions and further troubled stockholders. John W. Garrett , president of the rival Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, had slowly been purchasing significant amounts of stock in
10944-580: The Pennsylvania legislature in 1837. Right from the beginning, the WY&;G corporate charter stipulated that the York and Maryland Line Railroad would have permission to use the new company’s tracks, as long as the Y&ML gave reciprocal permission to the Wrightsville, York, and Gettysburg. As with the Y&ML railroad, the Baltimore and Susquehanna company loaned money to build the new line, starting from York in 1838 and reaching Wrightsville in 1840. Similarly,
11096-563: The State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore both gave their support, purchasing close to half of the $ 450,000 in shares that the B&S did sell over the next few years, and loaning the railroad a combined total of $ 2.7 million. Further, the benefit of building next to swift moving streams was that their waterpower could run mills, and each mile of track laid brought the B&S to new mills and closer to new mines, quarries, and farms. Sometimes, in fact,
11248-538: The United States today. Lexington Market was also a center of slave trading. Enslaved Black people were sold at numerous sites through the downtown area, with sales advertised in The Baltimore Sun . Both tobacco and sugar cane were labor-intensive crops. In 1774, Baltimore established the first post office system in what became the United States, and the first water company chartered in the newly independent nation, Baltimore Water Company, 1792. Baltimore played
11400-435: The WY&G used its own stock to cover its debt to the B&S, with a similar result: beginning in 1839, the Baltimore & Susquehanna Railroad controlled the Wrightsville, York, & Gettysburg. The new line from York to Wrightsville completed the original plan to create easy transportation of goods from the Susquehanna River to Baltimore—a plan which greatly succeeded, to the dismay of many officials in Pennsylvania, but to
11552-440: The Y&ML used its own stock shares and bonds to pay the B&S close to $ 350,000 for covering construction debts. In just a few years, then, with an outright purchase of $ 200,000 of Y&ML stock, the B&S had control of the York and Maryland Line Railroad. It was under this corporate structure that in 1838 the York to Baltimore line was completed, including the 300-foot-long Howard Tunnel near Seven Valleys, Pennsylvania ,
11704-671: The York & Maryland Line at Hanover Junction . In 1855 the Hanover Branch company took over its own operations. It eventually merged with the Gettysburg Railroad, which had built a line between Hanover and Gettysburg; in 1886 they were acquired by the Western Maryland line. When the Northern Central Railroad took over operations of the four consolidated lines, it also took on most of their debts. A major exception
11856-569: The area further north, in what is now Baltimore County . Since Maryland was a colony, Baltimore's streets were named to show loyalty to the mother country, e.g. King, Queen, King George and Caroline streets. The original county seat , known today as Old Baltimore, was located on Bush River within the present-day Aberdeen Proving Ground . The colonists engaged in sporadic warfare with the Susquehannock, whose numbers dwindled primarily from new infectious diseases, such as smallpox , endemic among
12008-649: The arts, and became a home to the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center at 847 N. Howard Street in 2000. It is hoped that the opening of other art institutions will aid in the revival of Antique Row. One of Howard Street's unique features is the twin steel arch-style bridge that crosses the Jones Falls Expressway , the CSX and Northern Central Railway (and currently the light rail), and Falls Road . Built between 1937 and 1939 by
12160-478: The bay was impossible. Shippers tried to move cargoes using rafts, flatboats, or disposable “arks” that were flimsily built and loaded upstream, then dismantled at the river’s mouth in Havre de Grace, Maryland . But many craft were damaged or wrecked on the trip downstream. Traffic that did successfully maneuver through the rapids typically went to Baltimore, the closest city to the river’s outlet on Chesapeake Bay. This
12312-621: The beginning of the 1970s, Baltimore's downtown area, known as the Inner Harbor, had been neglected and was occupied by a collection of abandoned warehouses. The nickname "Charm City" came from a 1975 meeting of advertisers seeking to improve the city's reputation. Efforts to redevelop the area started with the construction of the Maryland Science Center , which opened in 1976, the Baltimore World Trade Center (1977), and
12464-442: The border with Maryland, it made no further stipulations, which meant anyone could use the tracks. The company had initially been capitalized at just $ 200,000, far less than would realistically be needed, and they also had trouble raising money. The Y&ML didn’t have enough funds to start construction until 1837—i.e., when the Baltimore and Susquehanna itself reached the state line, and then continued into Pennsylvania. Ironically,
12616-514: The branch line to Owings Mills, building the Green Spring Hotel and the relay station mentioned earlier, as well as purchasing its first locomotive, the B&S also began setting up the Bolton Station and Yard, which would become its main terminal, repair shop, and switching yards. Built on land donated by George Winchester, the first B&S president, it later became the site of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Mt. Royal Station , and eventually
12768-592: The canals difficult to use. In 1827, a group of toll-road owners in York County, Pennsylvania , requested help from businessmen in Baltimore to explore building what eventually became the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad Company (B&S). The turnpike owners and farmers were frustrated by the difficulties of getting products to Philadelphia, where some felt exploited, forced to accept what merchants in Philadelphia were willing to pay. When surveys showed that building
12920-588: The cities of Baltimore and Philadelphia both wanted access to this potentially rich trade. But the ridges and valleys of the Piedmont and Appalachians blocked any easy trade routes from central Pennsylvania to markets on the coast. The upper Susquehanna River provided an important, navigable route throughout central Pennsylvania, but the Conewago Falls and other hazards below and southeast of Middletown made travel to Chesapeake Bay difficult; upstream traffic from
13072-452: The city in 1765 by Nicholas Hasselbach , whose equipment was later used in the printing of Baltimore's first newspapers, The Maryland Journal and The Baltimore Advertiser , first published by William Goddard in 1773. Baltimore grew swiftly in the 18th century, its plantations producing grain and tobacco for sugar-producing colonies in the Caribbean . The profit from sugar encouraged
13224-541: The city's 1.6-mile-long (2.6 km) Francis Scott Key Bridge , which constituted a southeast portion of the Baltimore Beltway , was struck by a container ship and completely collapsed . A major rescue operation was launched with US authorities attempting to rescue people in the water. Eight construction workers, who were working on the bridge at the time, fell into the Patapsco River . Two people were rescued from
13376-433: The city's mayor to form a committee to address food problems. The Baltimore-based charity Moveable Feast grew out of this initiative in 1990. In 1992, the Baltimore Orioles baseball team moved from Memorial Stadium to Oriole Park at Camden Yards , located downtown near the harbor. Pope John Paul II held an open-air mass at Camden Yards during his papal visit to the United States in October 1995. Three years later
13528-604: The completion of one of the United States' largest medical complexes – the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore – which features the Sheikh Zayed Cardiovascular and Critical Care Tower and The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center. The event, held at the entrance to the $ 1.1 billion 1.6 million-square-foot-facility, honored the many donors including Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan , first president of
13680-473: The construction of their lines. The state of Maryland and city of Baltimore had provided support, but much of it was in the form of loans which, of course, had to be repaid. In fact, the interest alone that the B&S owed the state of Maryland was $ 113,000, but the railroad could only pay $ 40,000 annually. In addition, the B&S was continually hampered by having to pull customers’ privately owned freight cars at rates below cost. So they looked farther north, to
13832-450: The counties and boroughs along the way to contribute funds. The cap on loans and investments was lifted later that same year, and Baltimore committed to supporting the railroad, so initial construction got underway. However, the railroad line wasn't built. Beginning in November 1853, the route north was graded to Millersburg, and partially graded to Sunbury, at a cost of $ 800,000, but track
13984-530: The country. When combined the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area (CSA) had a 2020 population of 9,973,383, the third-largest in the country. Though the city is not located within or under the administrative jurisdiction of any county in the state, it is part of the Central Maryland region, together with the surrounding county that shares its name . The land that is present-day Baltimore
14136-414: The cultivation of cane in the Caribbean and the importation of food by planters there. Since Baltimore was the county seat, a courthouse was built in 1768 to serve both the city and county. Its square was a center of community meetings and discussions. Baltimore established its public market system in 1763. Lexington Market , founded in 1782, is one of the oldest continuously operating public markets in
14288-531: The department stores along Howard Street closed, the last one, Hutzler's, in 1989. The construction of the Baltimore Light Rail beginning that same year also slowed down business for the shops for three consecutive years. Once construction was complete, light rail brought more people to Antique Row, although it hasn't regained its former popularity. Antique Row has also had to battle the increased interest in other downtown attractions such as Fells Point and
14440-622: The downtown area burned to the ground. Damages were estimated at $ 150 million in 1904 dollars. As the city rebuilt during the next two years, lessons learned from the fire led to improvements in firefighting equipment standards. Baltimore lawyer Milton Dashiell advocated for an ordinance to bar African-Americans from moving into the Eutaw Place neighborhood in northwest Baltimore. He proposed to recognize majority white residential blocks and majority black residential blocks and to prevent people from moving into housing on such blocks where they would be
14592-529: The downtown population grew 130 percent as old commercial properties have been replaced by residential property. Still the city's main commercial area and business district, it includes Baltimore's sports complexes: Oriole Park at Camden Yards , M&T Bank Stadium , and the Royal Farms Arena ; and the shops and attractions in the Inner Harbor: Harborplace , the Baltimore Convention Center ,
14744-432: The earliest railroad tunnel in the U.S. still in use today. Although the original plan for the B&S railroad was to reach the Susquehanna River at York Haven, while they were still laying track from the Maryland state line to York the B&S directors decided to build from York to Wrightsville instead. The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal , which had been part of the bargaining for access to Pennsylvania to begin with,
14896-457: The earliest violence associated with the American Civil War . The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the nation's oldest, was built in 1830 and cemented Baltimore's status as a transportation hub, giving producers in the Midwest and Appalachia access to the city's port . Baltimore's Inner Harbor was the second leading port of entry for immigrants to the US and a major manufacturing center. After
15048-511: The east–west dividing line and Eastern Avenue to Route 40 as the north–south dividing line; however, Baltimore Street is north–south dividing line for the U.S. Postal Service . Central Baltimore, originally called the Middle District, stretches north of the Inner Harbor up to the edge of Druid Hill Park . Downtown Baltimore has mainly served as a commercial district with limited residential opportunities; however, between 2000 and 2010,
15200-461: The edge of town by city officials who were allied with Philadelphia legislators and unhappy about the NCRY’s success in shipping Pennsylvania products to Baltimore. The Sunbury and Erie Railroad had been issued a charter in 1852 specifically to reclaim some of that trade, with the provision that if the Susquehanna Railroad could not complete construction to Sunbury, then the Sunbury and Erie could build
15352-407: The face of these rowhouses also give Baltimore its distinct look. The rowhouses are a mix of brick and formstone facings, the latter a technology patented in 1937 by Albert Knight. John Waters characterized formstone as "the polyester of brick" in a 30-minute documentary film, Little Castles: A Formstone Phenomenon . In The Baltimore Rowhouse , Mary Ellen Hayward and Charles Belfoure considered
15504-591: The first casualties of Civil War on April 19, 1861, when Union Army soldiers en route from President Street Station to Camden Yards clashed with a secessionist mob in the Pratt Street riot . In the midst of the Long Depression that followed the Panic of 1873 , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad company attempted to lower its workers' wages, leading to strikes and riots in the city and beyond . Strikers clashed with
15656-551: The fresh air and beautiful scenery of Green Spring Valley. While construction was ongoing, the B&S purchased its first steam locomotive , which they named the Herald . Made in England by Robert Stephenson , it arrived in autumn of 1832, but with a 0-4-0 configuration that couldn’t handle the tight curves of the Jones Falls route. The configuration was successfully adapted by using
15808-478: The full loan. Articles of Union were finalized on December 4, 1854, and filed in both states, creating the Northern Central Railway Company (NCRY), which took control of these four affiliated railroads on January 1, 1855. The Wrightsville, York, and Columbia Railroad was not officially included in the merger, though it was still operated by the Northern Central Railway until 1870; at that point it
15960-762: The government of Baltimore are located at the Baltimore City Archives . The Baltimore area had been inhabited by Native Americans since at least the 10th millennium BC , when Paleo-Indians first settled in the region. One Paleo-Indian site and several Archaic period and Woodland period archaeological sites have been identified in Baltimore, including four from the Late Woodland period . In December 2021, several Woodland period Native American artifacts were found in Herring Run Park in northeast Baltimore, dating 5,000 to 9,000 years ago. The finding followed
16112-400: The harbor to 480 feet (150 m) in the northwest corner near Pimlico . In the 2010 census, Baltimore has a total area of 92.1 square miles (239 km ), of which 80.9 sq mi (210 km ) is land and 11.1 sq mi (29 km ) is water. The total area is 12.1 percent water. Baltimore is almost surrounded by Baltimore County, but is politically independent of it. It
16264-582: The harbor. But then things slowed down: although the railroad had some income from the Green Spring Branch, after all those expenditures it could not consistently cover the costs of continued northwards. The railroad was also hampered financially by a provision in its original charter that allowed customers to use their own freight cars, which the B&S would then have to move at a rate lower than its own freight costs. Early investors had been disappointed by minimal returns on their investments, so people were reluctant to spend money on further railroad stock. But
16416-399: The largest urban redevelopment projects in the country. The waterfront development that includes the new headquarters for Under Armour, as well as shops, housing, offices, and manufacturing spaces is projected to create 26,500 permanent jobs with a $ 4.3 billion annual economic impact. Goldman Sachs invested $ 233 million into the redevelopment project. In the early hours of March 26, 2024,
16568-585: The late 20th century. The Northern Central Railway had been involved in one of the Civil War’s core issues years before the war began: as a north-south train, escaped slaves often traveled on the NCRY, making it a part of the Underground Railroad. While the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad officially obeyed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, in helping owners bring captured fugitives back south, quite
16720-556: The left, it becomes San Martin Drive , which winds road along the western perimeter of the Johns Hopkins University campus and ends at University Parkway . Howard Street is named in honor of former Maryland governor John Eager Howard . Two other streets in Baltimore, John and Eager Streets , are also named after him. At one time, Howard Street was a two-way street throughout its entire route. In 1989, when construction began on
16872-408: The legislatures of both Pennsylvania and Maryland approved a consolidation of the Baltimore & Susquehanna Railroad, the York & Maryland Line, the York & Cumberland Railroad, and the Susquehanna Railroad. Maryland converted the railroads’ debts to a single mortgage that required annual payments of $ 90,000, though if the new company could pay $ 1,500,000 over a ten-year period that would satisfy
17024-432: The minimum required maintenance. Throughout 1858, the remaining wood and strap-iron rails on the main line had to be replaced with rolled-iron “T” rails, though it would take years before all the sidings and freight yards had been upgraded. The bridge-building project started by the Baltimore and Susquehanna had never been completed, so between 1855 and 1859 more than 75 bridges also had to be replaced. As had happened with
17176-430: The most significant buildings in this city, a treasure of art and architecture" by Baltimore magazine. The 1845 Greek Revival -style Lloyd Street Synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues in the United States . The Johns Hopkins Hospital , designed by Lt. Col. John S. Billings in 1876, was a considerable achievement for its day in functional arrangement and fireproofing. I.M. Pei's World Trade Center (1977)
17328-567: The nation's capital , before it returned to Philadelphia in March 1777. The Battle of Baltimore was pivotal during the War of 1812 , culminating in the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry , during which Francis Scott Key wrote a poem that would become " The Star-Spangled Banner ", designated as the national anthem in 1931. During the Pratt Street Riot of 1861 , the city was the site of some of
17480-434: The need for which had been horrifically demonstrated on July 4, 1854, when a holiday excursion train collided head-on with a York local, killing thirty-five people and injuring over a hundred others. Using its initial stock outlay of $ 8 million, with another $ 2.5 million added later, the NCRY resumed construction on the Sunbury route that same year; by August, 1858, the line had bridged the Susquehanna at Dauphin and reached
17632-542: The new railroad company, made repeated requests to the Pennsylvania General Assembly to give their approval to the charter as set up by Maryland, with permission to operate in Pennsylvania. However, the legislators—especially those from Philadelphia—did not want trade from Pennsylvania going to Baltimore. Others wanted any railroad company operating in Pennsylvania to be owned and operated by Pennsylvanians, with profits staying in Pennsylvania. For these reasons,
17784-466: The opening of its train service, carrying passengers pulled by horses to the Roland Run area and back to Belvedere Station in Baltimore (at or near the intersection of Guilford Avenue and Eager St today). The following year, they built a relay station near Roland Run, where fatigued horses could be exchanged for fresh ones; appropriately, they named the station “Relay” (though this was sometimes confused with
17936-403: The point where it could be used only by horse-drawn trains, and only in the summer. However, towns on the originally planned route to Westminster had expected and wanted railroad service. At their request, in 1846 the Maryland legislature authorized the B&S “or any new company organized to do the work” to repair the tracks from Relay to Owings Mills. Eventually this resulted in the formation of
18088-412: The profit of Wrightsville and all the other towns along the B&S route, including Baltimore itself. However, expenses continued for the B&S, with the purchase of eleven locomotives from 1837-1839, moving from the single Herald to creating a full fleet of engines as their total amount of trackage increased significantly. When the Wrightsville, York, and Gettysburg was completed, the United States
18240-440: The railroad allowed these businesses to open by giving them ways to sell their products. Although construction was intermittent because of funding issues, as the Baltimore and Susquehanna extended their track, they were gradually able to reach more customers, which in turn provided money to build further north. It took three years to cover the fairly short distance to Cockeysville , arriving in 1835, but by 1837 they had laid track to
18392-450: The railroad’s financial vulnerability, Senator Simon Cameron of Pennsylvania had approached J. Edgar Thomson and Thomas A. Scott , the president and vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, proposing that if the PRR were to buy stock in the Northern Central, they could jointly control the NCRY. As former president of the Susquehanna Railroad, Simon Cameron was already a major stockholder in
18544-497: The rich coal fields of central Pennsylvania, hoping to increase revenues by extending their lines north of the York and Cumberland Railroad. To accomplish this, the Susquehanna Railroad (SRR) was chartered on April 14, 1851, and authorized to build upstream along the Susquehanna to Halifax , Millersburg , and Sunbury , eventually reaching Williamsport . Like the other new railroads, its initial stock did not sell well, so
18696-422: The right to use the B&S tracks from Relay in to Baltimore. If they stopped using the branch line, however, it would revert back to the Baltimore and Susquehanna. The Western Maryland refurbished the track from Relay to Owings Mills, then extended it to Westminster and Union Bridge , finally reaching Hagerstown in 1872. The following year, they did construct their own line in to Baltimore from Garrison, so in 1873
18848-407: The river to meet the Cumberland Valley Railroad at Lemoyne (then called “Bridgeport”). Service on the new line began in 1851. One significant difference, however, was that the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad had to lease the York and Cumberland tracks in order to use them—a cost added to many others. While the B&S had effectively gained control of three other railroads, it had also financed
19000-472: The rowhouse as the architectural form defining Baltimore as "perhaps no other American city". In the mid-1790s, developers began building entire neighborhoods of the British-style rowhouses, which became the dominant house type of the city early in the 19th century. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a Major League Baseball park, which opened in 1992 and was built as a retro style baseball park. Along with
19152-523: The southern edge of Sunbury. Gunnarsson writes that, "according to some sources," from 1856 to 1858 trains running north towards Sunbury were diverted across the Susquehanna River at Herndon via the Trevorton Bridge to Port Trevorton, Pennsylvania . From there, passengers boarded canal boats and continued the journey to Sunbury on the Pennsylvania Canal, until 1858 when the rail line to Sunbury
19304-490: The start of 1860. And, with links to several other railroads as well as Pennsylvania’s canal system, it had established an extensive and profitable network – eventually reaching from Baltimore to Lake Erie. But while its business was booming, the railroad was struggling financially. The NCRY was caught in the same cycle of having to construct the new line to Sunbury while managing other expenses and heavy debt. The earlier companies’ thin financial margins meant they had done only
19456-413: The state border, north of Freeland . At that point the York and Maryland Line officially took over construction—but the B&S crews were still laying the track, theoretically financed by the Y&ML. This surprised no one in authority; in fact, Robert Gunnarsson calls the York and Maryland Line Railroad “a paper company.” While its charge stated that the Y&ML would construct a railroad from York to
19608-429: The state to be a Pennsylvania-based firm. The result was the incorporation of a new company, the York & Maryland Line Railroad Company (Y&ML), on March 14, 1832. The Baltimore & Susquehanna Railroad was given “’limited’ authority in Pennsylvania,” and with that authority, they started once again to extend their initial line northwards, reaching Timonium in 1832. That same year, in addition to constructing
19760-711: The stock market in London, which the PRR also purchased, gaining a controlling interest of 33.79% of all NCRY stock. In the meantime, Simon Cameron had been named Secretary of War in Abraham Lincoln’s new administration, a reward for bringing in Pennsylvania’s support for Lincoln at the Republican Convention. Once in office, he used his power to give PRR vice-president Thomas Scott the position of Assistant Secretary of War, and he also arranged for business to be given to
19912-587: The story of the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, and the extended string of subsidiary rail lines that it operated. It is also a story of corporate and legislative maneuverings, excitement about railroads, and—as this was one of the first railroad systems in the United States—a lack of knowledge on the part of all involved, including builders, legislators, investors, and the general public. Farmers and producers in central and southern Pennsylvania were eager to sell their grain, coal, lumber, and other products, and
20064-492: The surrounding counties through 1918, when the city acquired portions of Baltimore County and Anne Arundel County . A state constitutional amendment, approved in 1948, required a special vote of the citizens in any proposed annexation area, effectively preventing any future expansion of the city's boundaries. Streetcars enabled the development of distant neighborhoods areas such as Edmonson Village whose residents could easily commute to work downtown. Driven by migration from
20216-467: The train, and had guards stationed along the route. While historians today have significant questions about any actual organized conspiracy (later called the “ Baltimore Plot ”), there had been plenty of fiery statements in Baltimore against Lincoln and supporting the Confederacy, so Lincoln’s staff decided not to take any risks. Lincoln arrived in Baltimore at 3:00 a.m. on February 22, quietly transferred to
20368-415: The use of gas lighting in 1816, and its population grew rapidly in the following decades, with concomitant development of culture and infrastructure. The construction of the federally funded National Road , which later became part of U.S. Route 40 , and the private Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B. & O.) made Baltimore a major shipping and manufacturing center by linking the city with major markets in
20520-730: The water, and the bodies of the remaining six were all found by May 7. Replacement of the bridge was estimated in May 2024 at a cost approaching $ 2 billion for a fall 2028 completion. Baltimore is in north-central Maryland on the Patapsco River , close to where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay . Baltimore is located on the fall line between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic coastal plain , which divides Baltimore into "lower city" and "upper city". Baltimore's elevation ranges from sea level at
20672-410: The whole stream was rapid) twisting through narrow valleys. Jones Falls provided a more open valley than some, but to create a workable grade the track still had to cross the stream frequently, with many curves and climbing stretches in between —Robert Gunnarsson reports that the B&S route eventually averaged about two bridges for every mile of track. On July 4, 1831, the railroad company celebrated
20824-735: Was completed. On August 18, 1858, the NCRY was able to open rail service between Baltimore and Sunbury. Completing that final stretch also allowed the NCRY to connect with several short feeder-line railroads, such as the Lykens Valley Railroad and the Trevorton Coal & Railroad Company, which were built to bring coal directly from mines east of the Susquehanna to rivers or canals linked to Pennsylvania’s “Main Line” canal system. While these feeder lines had improved from their early horse-drawn days, mine owners were still eager to link directly with
20976-426: Was designed by architects Niernsee and Neilson and completed in 1850. Its Italianate-style structure of stucco-covered brick, with many arched windows and doorways, and two distinctive towers, quickly became an iconic image for the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad and also for its successor, the Northern Central Railway. Beginning back in 1840, the B&S had also started to build its own line to Baltimore Harbor,
21128-464: Was erected by his son Isaac in 1822 after a design by William Howard and William Small. It reflects the popular interest in Greece when the nation was securing its independence and a scholarly interest in recently published drawings of Athenian antiquities. The Phoenix Shot Tower (1828), at 234.25 feet (71.40 m) tall, was the tallest building in the United States until the time of the Civil War, and
21280-478: Was expected to link Chesapeake Bay with the upper Susquehanna at Wrightsville. The Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge , already in place, provided a way across the river to Columbia, which was an important junction between Pennsylvania’s canal system to the west and the Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad to the east. This new plan led to the incorporation of the Wrightsville, York, & Gettysburg Railroad (WY&G) by
21432-412: Was in the midst of a major economic depression, so no further construction happened for a few years. But the Baltimore and Susquehanna Company still wanted to connect to York Haven – the source of the original request that led to the railroad’s creation – and they also had their eyes set on Harrisburg , the Pennsylvania state capitol. At Harrisburg they would have important links to two different railroads:
21584-415: Was narrowly avoided only by a loan of $ 120,000 from the private company of the NCRY’s own president, John S. Gittings. The state moved again to foreclose in 1861, but it was at that point that the Pennsylvania Railroad stepped in and acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Central's stock. Thereafter, the Northern Central operated as a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad until the latter's demise in
21736-732: Was not appreciated by merchants in Philadelphia: although in 1802 Pennsylvania and Maryland had agreed on building a canal from the Delaware River to Chesapeake Bay, that project had foundered, so Philadelphia had no direct water access to the Susquehanna. Beginning in 1826, Pennsylvania committed to building a network of canals to ease navigation, the " Main Line ," specifically opening up routes for trade to Philadelphia. But mountainous terrain made it difficult to build and operate canals, and slow travel times, inconvenient locations, and winter closures made
21888-416: Was only laid as far as Maryville--construction came to a halt in 1854. The Baltimore and Susquehanna had been dealing with several issues resulting in major expenses. Their success was part of the problem: the volume and weight of the traffic they were carrying had gone beyond what the original wooden rails could handle, causing several derailments. When first constructing their lines, the company’s strategy
22040-589: Was selected for the school's new home. After the building's opening in 2013, the design won additional honors including an ENR National "Best of the Best" Award. Baltimore's newly rehabilitated Everyman Theatre was honored by the Baltimore Heritage at the 2013 Preservation Awards Celebration in 2013. Everyman Theatre will receive an Adaptive Reuse and Compatible Design Award as part of Baltimore Heritage's 2013 historic preservation awards ceremony. Baltimore Heritage
22192-509: Was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad, which by then had also gained control of the NCRY. Another significant railroad was the by-product of all this corporate maneuvering—the Western Maryland Railway (WM). Once the Baltimore and Susquehanna Company bargained their way across the Pennsylvania-Maryland border and linked with the York and Maryland Line Railroad, they stopped maintaining the Green Spring Branch. The track deteriorated, to
22344-416: Was that the city of Baltimore agreed to forego the money it had loaned to the Baltimore and Susquehanna Railroad, on two conditions: that the new railroad would finish construction of the line to Sunbury, and that the NCRY would also build a different line to Baltimore harbor, using a new route to avoid legal hassles. The new railroad’s charter also mandated that its whole length would have two sets of tracks –
22496-432: Was the center of upscale department and specialty store shopping until decline and eventual store closures in the 1970s, with Hutzler's , Stewart's , Hecht's and Hochschild Kohn all located on or facing Howard. Three of the four had side entrances on Lexington Street, which was lined with smaller shops. Lexington connected to Charles Street which was lined with boutiques, jewelers and linen shops nearby O'Neill & Co.,
22648-486: Was these riots that led to the city being nicknamed "Mobtown". Soon after the city created the world's first dental college, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery , in 1840, and shared in the world's first telegraph line , between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. , in 1844. Maryland, a slave state with limited popular support for secession , especially in the three counties of Southern Maryland, remained part of
22800-702: Was to build lightly and quickly in order to begin generating income as soon as possible—the directors had seen the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad slowed down by expensive stone trackbed and bridges and wanted to avoid those problems. But as their business grew they purchased and hauled increasingly heavy equipment; in 1851, for example, they bought the first of nineteen 0-8-0 “Camel” locomotives, which were powerful, but quite large and heavy. Almost every bridge had to be rebuilt, tight curves had to be straightened out, and miles of original wooden rails covered with strap iron had to be replaced with “T”-shaped rails of rolled iron made in England. Rail replacement began in 1852, and by 1854
22952-857: Was used as hunting ground by Paleo-Indians . In the early 1600s, the Susquehannock began to hunt there. People from the Province of Maryland established the Port of Baltimore in 1706 to support the tobacco trade with Europe, and established the Town of Baltimore in 1729. During the American Revolutionary War , the Second Continental Congress , fleeing Philadelphia prior to its fall to British troops , moved their deliberations to Henry Fite House on West Baltimore Street from December 1776, to February 1777, permitting Baltimore to serve briefly as
23104-555: Was used as hunting grounds by the Susquehannock living in the lower Susquehanna River valley. This Iroquoian-speaking people "controlled all of the upper tributaries of the Chesapeake" but "refrained from much contact with Powhatan in the Potomac region " and south into Virginia. Pressured by the Susquehannock, the Piscataway tribe , an Algonquian-speaking people , stayed well south of
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