Point of Rocks (MARC station)
Encyclopedia
The Point of Rocks Railroad Station is a historic passenger rail station on the MARC Brunswick Line between Washington, D.C.
and Martinsburg, WV
located at Point of Rocks
, Frederick County
, Maryland
, United States
. The station was built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
in 1873, and designed by E. Francis Baldwin. It is situated at the junction of the B&O Old Main Line (running to Baltimore
) and the Metropolitan Branch (running to Washington, D.C.
). The Met Branch also opened in 1873 and became the principal route for passenger trains between Baltimore, Washington and points west.
The main station building is a -story, triangular Gothic Revival with a four-story tower and a -story wing at the base. The tower has a pyramidal roof containing a dormer
on each side. On top is a square cupola
supporting a pyramidal peaked roof..
The station building itself is not open to the public and is used by CSX as storage and offices for maintenance of way crews. In 2008, new platforms and platform shelters were built for MARC commuters traveling east towards Washington DC ,replacing older bus shelter–style structures which were erected in the mid 90's.
During the blizzard of 2010, the south side awning on the main building collapsed under the weight of record snow fall, and was later removed leaving half the building missing cover. In January 2011, work to rebuild the destroyed part of the structure began.
The Point of Rocks Railroad Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1973, and reopened for the Maryland Rail Commuter Service, now called MARC, which established the Brunswick Line.
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....
located at Point of Rocks
Point of Rocks, Maryland
Point of Rocks is a community in Frederick County, Maryland. It is named for the striking rock formation on the adjacent Catoctin Mountain, which were formed by the Potomac River cutting through the ridge in a water gap, a typical formation in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians...
, Frederick County
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
, 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...
. The station 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...
in 1873, and designed by E. Francis Baldwin. It is situated at the junction of the B&O Old Main Line (running to Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
) and the Metropolitan Branch (running to 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....
). The Met Branch also opened in 1873 and became the principal route for passenger trains between Baltimore, Washington and points west.
The main station building is a -story, triangular Gothic Revival with a four-story tower and a -story wing at the base. The tower has a pyramidal roof containing a dormer
Dormer
A dormer is a structural element of a building that protrudes from the plane of a sloping roof surface. Dormers are used, either in original construction or as later additions, to create usable space in the roof of a building by adding headroom and usually also by enabling addition of windows.Often...
on each side. On top is a square cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
supporting a pyramidal peaked roof..
The station building itself is not open to the public and is used by CSX as storage and offices for maintenance of way crews. In 2008, new platforms and platform shelters were built for MARC commuters traveling east towards Washington DC ,replacing older bus shelter–style structures which were erected in the mid 90's.
During the blizzard of 2010, the south side awning on the main building collapsed under the weight of record snow fall, and was later removed leaving half the building missing cover. In January 2011, work to rebuild the destroyed part of the structure began.
The Point of Rocks Railroad Station 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 1973, and reopened for the Maryland Rail Commuter Service, now called MARC, which established the Brunswick Line.
External links
- Point of Rocks station official website
- Point of Rocks station image (Dynamic Depot Maps)
- Point of Rocks Railroad Station, Frederick County, including photo from 2006, at Maryland Historical Trust
