The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, now defunct, was an American

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

of central

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

built in the 19th and 20th centuries.

History

Early development

The Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, a suburban (later

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 a ...

) trolley system was developed by George William Smith and initially called the Frederick & Middletown Railway. Construction began early in 1896, almost simultaneously with the development of Braddock Heights Park, the mountaintop resort that was intended to provide patronage for the line. Service between

Frederick Frederick may refer to: People * Frederick (given name), the name Nobility Anhalt-Harzgerode *Frederick, Prince of Anhalt-Harzgerode (1613–1670) Austria * Frederick I, Duke of Austria (Babenberg), Duke of Austria from 1195 to 1198 * Frederick ...

and Braddock Heights commenced on August 22, 1896. The line was complete to Middletown by October. Two years later an extension was built to Myersville, nominally called the Myersville & Catoctin Railway, but leased to the F&M and operated as an integral part of the F&M. In 1904 the Hagerstown Railway built a connecting link from

Boonsboro Boonsboro is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States, located at the foot of South Mountain. It nearly borders Frederick County and is proximate to the Antietam National Battlefield. The population was 3,336 at the 2010 census. ...

to Myersville, and through service between Frederick and Hagerstown became possible, making the still separate lines an interurban. The

Jefferson Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...

branch was added in 1906, running down the east side of Jefferson Boulevard. This extension served the H&F investors, who were largely the same as the Braddock Heights investors, by opening up more mountaintop resort land for development. An extension of this branch planned in 1907 which would have taken the line to the

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was the first common carrier railroad and the oldest railroad in the United States, with its first section opening in 1830. Merchants from Baltimore, which had benefited to some extent from the construction of ...

yard facilities in Brunswick was never completed.

The Hagerstown Railway

Like the H&F, the Hagerstown Railway was begun in 1896. The leading investors were Christian W. Lynch and William Jennings, who took a different approach to development by creating an urban loop within Hagerstown, with crossing lines on Washington Street and South Potomac Street, and a branch to nearby Williamsport. By 1897 line Potomac Street line extended to Funkstown. In 1901 work began on an extension east to Wagner's Crossroads (later Boonsboro Junction) and from there south to

itself. This section was completed in 1902. Work began immediately on the connection from Wagner's Crossroads to Myersville. In 1905 a new line was started, running north from Hagerstown to Shady Grove, Pennsylvania. This permitted a connection to the

Chambersburg, Greencastle and Waynesboro Street Railway The Chambersburg, Greencastle & Waynesboro Street Railway, now defunct, was an American railroad of south central Pennsylvania built in the 19th and 20th centuries. Origins Tracks were first laid in Greencastle in 1903, with operations beginning ...

. Passengers could then take the CG&W on to the mountaintop resorts of

Pen Mar Pen Mar is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Maryland, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is one of the border towns in the United States with a portmanteau name. Pen Mar came to prominence as a resort in the 2 ...

and Blue Ridge Summit. Incompatible

rail gauge In rail transport, track gauge (in American English, alternatively track gage) is the distance between the two rails of a railway track. All vehicles on a rail network must have wheelsets that are compatible with the track gauge. Since many d ...

s prevented direct transfer. Jefferson Blvd Mid

Growth and consolidation

Emory Coblentz, a Middletown lawyer and stockholder in the F&M, took over the management of the F&M in 1908. He bought the Washington, Frederick & Gettysburg Railroad, which despite its name only ran from Frederick to Thurmont, and incorporated it into the F&M in 1909, renaming the F&M as the Frederick Railroad. During the next two years the network in Frederick was expanded and its facilities improved, with lines on Fifth Street, South Street and Market Street. In 1913, the Hagerstown Railway and the Frederick Railway were merged, becoming the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway.

Trolley Parks

In common with many more urban trolley systems, the H&F owned and operated two

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

s, both as business ventures in their own right, and as traffic generators for the trolley business. In pre-

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

days, mountaintop parks like Braddock Heights Park were popular summer getaways where city dwellers could entertain themselves and breathe cool mountain air. Electric Park in Funkstown had to rely on

Antietam Creek Antietam Creek () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed August 15, 2011 tributary of the Potomac River located in south central Pennsylvania and western Maryland in the ...

for coolness, but served much the same function.

Potomac Edison

The Hagerstown & Frederick had always run what originally amounted to a side business, selling

electricity Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...

to customers in the vicinity of its operations. As time went on, it became apparent to Emory Coblentz that the real business opportunity was in the electric utility business. With an eye to expanding his utility market, Coblentz purchased the Martinsburg Electric Light Company in 1916. He also acquired the Northern Virginia Power Company, and in 1917 the Chambersburg, Greencastle & Waynesboro Street Railway, which came with its own utility service. In 1922 the entire system, including the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway, became the Potomac Public Service Company. The next year, the PPS absorbed the Cumberland utility known as the Potomac Edison Company (which included the

Cumberland and Westernport Electric Railway The Cumberland Electric Railway, now defunct, was an American railroad of western Maryland built in the 19th and 20th centuries. Electric trolley service in Cumberland, Maryland started in 1891 with the inauguration of the Cumberland Electric Rai ...

), and applied its name to the entire operation. Potomac Edison thus covered a territory covering western and central Maryland, the

Eastern Panhandle The Eastern Panhandle is the eastern of the two panhandles in the U.S. state of West Virginia; the other is the Northern Panhandle. It is a small stretch of territory in the northeast of the state, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Some sources a ...

of West Virginia, and a portion of

Northern Virginia Northern Virginia, locally referred to as NOVA or NoVA, comprises several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. It is a widespread region radiating westward and southward from Washington, D.C. Wit ...

. Immediately thereafter, in another consolidation, Potomac Edison became a subsidiary of a holding company, the American Water Works & Electric Company, which operated a group of companies in

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

under the West Penn Electric Company brand. The Potomac Edison name carried on until the 1990s when the

Allegheny Power Allegheny Energy was an electric utility headquartered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It owned and operated electric generation facilities and delivered electric services to customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Allegh ...

brand was applied.

Competition and decline

By the 1920s the H&F faced competition from two sources: the

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

and the Blue Ridge Transportation Company, a

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

company owned by Potomac Edison. A gradual decline set in starting with the closure of the Washington Street line in Hagerstown and the end of Electric Park, both in 1927. In 1929 the loop line on Mulberry Street closed, and in the same year the Braddock Hotel burned and was not replaced. The

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

made things worse. The Chambersburg, Greencastle and Waynesboro was shut down in 1932, and the Shady Grove line followed suit. Emory Coblentz was caught in the financial collapse of his

bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. Because ...

, and was indicted (and later acquitted) on

fraud In law, fraud is intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right. Fraud can violate civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrator to avoid the fraud or recover monetary compens ...

charges. Having resigned from Potomac Edison and lost everything, he died in 1941, effectively destitute. The reconstruction of

US Route 40 U.S. Route 40 or U.S. Highway 40 (US 40), also known as the Main Street of America, is a major east–west United States Highway traveling across the United States from the Mountain States to the Mid-Atlantic States. As with most routes wh ...

to better suit the automobile took another toll. The new US 40 alignment between Myersville and Hagerstown crossed the H&F right-of-way at several points. Rather than build level crossings, the line was abandoned, in 1938.

Streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...

service in Frederick had already been terminated in 1937, and in Hagerstown in 1939.

End of the line

Passenger decline during the 1930s left the H&F's business dependent on freight service, primarily between Frederick and Thurmont. The network in Frederick was kept busy switching freight between industrial sidings and connections between the

(B&O) and

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

(PRR) lines. Passenger service to

halted in 1940, and tracks were removed in 1943, although the line along Jefferson Boulevard to Dean's was kept in operation to cater to the resort trade in Braddock Heights at the Vindobona Hotel. The Middletown- Myersville section was closed and the track lifted in 1945. The Hagerstown-Williamsport line was closed in 1947, the last service in Washington County. Later that year, service was discontinued on the Middletown and Braddock Heights lines. Most freight on the Thurmont branch was gone, with only service to

Fort Detrick Fort Detrick () is a United States Army Futures Command installation located in Frederick, Maryland. Historically, Fort Detrick was the center of the U.S. biological weapons program from 1943 to 1969. Since the discontinuation of that program, i ...

a significant contributor. Many utilities, including Potomac Edison, were ordered by the

Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...

to leave non-utility-related businesses, such as transportation. With that incentive, the last H&F trolley ran on February 20, 1954. Freight carried on, but the electric lines were removed on the Thurmont line in 1955 and diesel equipment was substituted. Nevertheless in 1958 the track between Thurmont and Fort Detrick was taken up. Potomac Edison stopped all service on April 26, 1961.

Lines

;Frederick - Hagerstown *Frederick, connection to Frederick network and Thurmont Line,

(B&O),

(PRR) *Hargett's *Fulmer's *Kauffman's *Braddock Junction, connection to Jefferson Branch *Middletown *Myersville *Mount Lena (aka: Smoketown) *Boonsboro Junction, connection to Boonsboro Branch *Funkstown *Hagerstown, connection to Hagerstown network, Williamsport branch and Shady Grove Line,

(B&O) ;Thurmont Line *Frederick *Montevue *Yellow Springs *Bethel/Charlesville Station *Lakeview (Early) *Lewistown *Catoctin Furnace *Thurmont, connection to

Western Maryland Railway The Western Maryland Railway was an American Class I railroad (1852–1983) 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 beca ...

(WM) ;Shady Grove Line *Hagerstown *Reid *Shady Grove, PA, connection to

;Williamsport Branch *Hagerstown *Halfway *Williamsport ;Boonsboro Branch *Boonsboro Junction *Mapleville *Boonsboro ;Jefferson Branch *Braddock Junction *Braddock Heights (Beachley's Store) *Dean's *Jefferson

Surviving landmarks

The 1910 H&F Frederick Terminal and Offices in Frederick at 200 East Patrick Street survives as the former headquarters of

the Frederick News-Post ''The Frederick News-Post'' is the local newspaper of Frederick County, Maryland. In addition to discussing local news, the newspaper addresses international, national, and regional news. The paper publishes six days a week. History On October ...

. The exit for trolleys onto Patrick Street is still visible as the main entrance. Beachley's Store in Braddock Heights long did duty as a store, post office, station and

electrical substation A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions. Between the generating station and ...

. The Boonsboro H&F Station is now th
Boonsboro Trolley Museum
and opens to the public once a month. The former H&F Powerhouse and later Carbarn for Hagerstown still stands at the intersection of Summit and Lee Streets in that city. While it is now an apartment, Myersville's station on Main Street is still designated by the H&F's "MYERSVILLE" sign. Traces of the old

right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

are still visible where sidewalks have been set back from the street: *Frederick - Along Rosemont Avenue, and tracks still in the road on E. 5th between N. East St. and Pine Avenue *Braddock Heights - Along Maryland Avenue and Jefferson Boulevard *Middletown - Along Main Street *Funkstown - In the vicinity of the old Electric Park *Beaver Creek - At either end of the village * Bethel - OpposumTown Pike next to Bethel Lutheran Church Additionally, bridge

abutments An abutment is the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam supporting its superstructure. Single-span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for the span, as well as acting as retaining walls ...

survive at creek crossings, and traces of old embankments remain visible in undeveloped areas. In some cases,

Allegheny Energy Allegheny Energy was an electric utility headquartered in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. It owned and operated electric generation facilities and delivered electric services to customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Allegh ...

feeders still use the right-of-way.

Surviving Trolleys

Four "Trolleys" are known to exist: * Freight Motor #5 is displayed at the former site of the H&F Thurmont Station along Main Street. * Suburban Coach #150 was privately owned in Myersville, and was the centerpoint of the Myersville Trolley Festival. It is now owned by the Town of Myersville and is on display in the new public library. * Interurban Combine #168 is displayed outside of the Hagerstown Roundhouse Museum. * Interurban Combine #171 is used as a private residence between Frederick and Thurmont.

Hagerstown & Frederick Trail

rails to trails A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

park has been proposed along the old H&F line between Frederick and Thurmont.
short portion of the line in Thurmont
has been developed by the community, ending across Main Street from the site where the H&F Station once stood. A non-profit organization was formed in 2018 to promote this proposal.

Myersville Trolley Festival

The town of Myersville celebrated the H&F at an annual festival from the early 1990s until 2012, generally in late October. Despite the cancelling of the Trolley Festival, the community continues to refer to their H&F Heritage in other events and landmarks.

Hagerstown & Frederick Railway Historical Society

A Historical Society was formed in 1999 to preserve artifacts and documents from and educate the public about the history of the Hagerstown & Frederick Railway.

References

Photographs of the trolleys

Trolley crossing Funkstown Bridge - Western Maryland Historic Library, Whilbr

Trolley in Hagerstown Square

Summer trolley in Hagerstown Square

Trolley in Williamsport
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagerstown Frederick Railway Defunct Maryland railroads Interurban railways in Maryland Washington County, Maryland Hagerstown, Maryland Frederick County, Maryland 1961 disestablishments in Maryland 1896 establishments in Maryland American companies established in 1896 Railway companies established in 1896 Railway companies disestablished in 1961