Jerome, West Virginia
Encyclopedia
Jerome is an uninhabited community along the old Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
main line
in Morgan County
in the U.S. state
of West Virginia
. It is located entirely within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
on the Potomac River
. Jerome is also the site of a stretch of the Western Maryland Railway
right-of-way from milepost 126 to milepost 160 listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Located in the "Paw Paw Bends", Jerome was considered to be one of the most inaccessible places reached by the Western Maryland Rwy.
At Jerome, the train order office was in use until it was closed on September 1, 1959. When it was abandoned by the Chessie System
in May 1975, the office was not torn down and is one of the few buildings that remain today in Jerome. There was also an operating connection with the B&O "low line" (see Magnolia, West Virginia) at milepost 137 but it was later removed when the B&O abandoned the low line in 1961. The community and its station on the railroad are rumored to have been named for Jérôme Bonaparte
.
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...
main line
Cumberland Subdivision
The Cumberland Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Maryland and West Virginia. The line runs from Weverton, Maryland west to near Cumberland, Maryland along the old Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road main line...
in Morgan County
Morgan County, West Virginia
Morgan County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of 2010, it's population was 17,541. Its county seat is Berkeley Springs. The county is one of three in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It is located entirely within the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia. The park was established as a National Monument in 1961 by President Dwight D...
on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. Jerome is also the site of a stretch of the Western Maryland Railway
Western Maryland Railway
The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad which operated in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was primarily a coal hauling and freight railroad, with a small passenger train operation. The WM became part of the Chessie System in 1973 and ceased operating its lines...
right-of-way from milepost 126 to milepost 160 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...
. Located in the "Paw Paw Bends", Jerome was considered to be one of the most inaccessible places reached by the Western Maryland Rwy.
At Jerome, the train order office was in use until it was closed on September 1, 1959. When it was abandoned by the Chessie System
Chessie System
Chessie System, Inc. was a holding company that owned the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway , the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , the Western Maryland Railway , and several smaller carriers. It was incorporated in Virginia on February 26, 1973, and it acquired the C&O on June 15...
in May 1975, the office was not torn down and is one of the few buildings that remain today in Jerome. There was also an operating connection with the B&O "low line" (see Magnolia, West Virginia) at milepost 137 but it was later removed when the B&O abandoned the low line in 1961. The community and its station on the railroad are rumored to have been named for Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
.