Kensington Station
Encyclopedia
Kensington Station is a railroad
passenger station
located at 10417 Howard Avenue in Kensington
, Maryland
, United States
. It was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
(B&O).
Kensington Station is currently served by MARC
commuter trains operating on the Brunswick Line. There are thirteen scheduled stops at Kensington Station and one flag stop daily.
CSX Transportation
, the owners of the railway line, operate frequent freight service over the line. Amtrak
's Capitol Limited previously served the station, and have since dropped the stop from its timetables.
Parade, CSX Transportation
, which currently owns the railroad line, offers free souvenirs. There is also a small model train layout. The platform is a low level concrete platform. On the other side there is a covered waiting area and some benches.
in 1873. The line connected Washington, D.C.
to Cumberland
, Maryland and points west.
Initially the settlement around the railroad line was known as Knowles Station. The town was incorporated in 1894 and was named Kensington at that time. The B&O station was designed by architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin
and opened in 1891. From 1893 to 1935, the station was used as a terminal for the Kensington Electric Railway and offered passenger service to Chevy Chase
, Maryland. The station is a contributing property
to the Kensington Historic District
.
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
passenger station
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
located at 10417 Howard Avenue in Kensington
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was built by 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).
Kensington Station is currently served by MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
commuter trains operating on the Brunswick Line. There are thirteen scheduled stops at Kensington Station and one flag stop daily.
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, the owners of the railway line, operate frequent freight service over the line. 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...
's Capitol Limited previously served the station, and have since dropped the stop from its timetables.
Station house
The Kensington Station has a former B&O station master's house. The building is open during the Kensington Farmers Market, which is held in the station parking lot. Inside there is an old stove, waiting area, and restrooms. Tickets can be purchased from a self-service machine. During the Kensington Labor DayLabor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
Parade, CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
, which currently owns the railroad line, offers free souvenirs. There is also a small model train layout. The platform is a low level concrete platform. On the other side there is a covered waiting area and some benches.
History
The B&O completed construction of the Metropolitan Branch through Montgomery CountyMontgomery 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...
in 1873. The line connected Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to Cumberland
Cumberland, Maryland
Cumberland is a city in the far western, Appalachian portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2010 census, the city had a population of 20,859, and the metropolitan area had a...
, Maryland and points west.
Initially the settlement around the railroad line was known as Knowles Station. The town was incorporated in 1894 and was named Kensington at that time. The B&O station was designed by architect 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 opened in 1891. From 1893 to 1935, the station was used as a terminal for the Kensington Electric Railway and offered passenger service to Chevy Chase
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, a number of villages in the same area of Montgomery County include "Chevy Chase" in their names...
, Maryland. The station is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Kensington Historic District
Kensington Historic District
The Kensington Historic District is a national historic district located at Kensington, Montgomery County, Maryland. The district includes the core of the original town that was incorporated in 1894, It is dominated by large late-19th and early-20th century houses, many with wraparound porches,...
.