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By Craig Swain, July 4, 2007 | |
| | | 1. Leesburg Freight Station Marker | | |
Inscription. Leesburg’s first railroad depot opened here in 1860 to accommodate passengers, mail, express packages, and freight. All but the freight operations were moved west to King Street in 1887 when the new passenger station opened. An industrial area known as “the Wharf”—mills, warehouses, a farm implement factory, and a stockyard—grew up around this station.
Passenger service along the Washington & Old Dominion barely made money. Freight appeared to be the railroad’s salvation. In 1926 W&OD owners calculated that 2 or 3 freight runs earned more than 134 passenger runs.
Freight business boomed during World War II and later with the growth of Northern Virginia. Trains hauled stone from local quarries for road construction. In the late 1950s the railroad prospered hauling building materials for the new Dulles International Airport.
Erected by The Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
Marker series. This marker is included in the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad marker series.
Location. 39° 6.649′ N, 77° 33.813′ W. Marker is in Leesburg, Virginia, in Loudoun County. Marker is on Harrison Street, on the left| | | | 
By Craig Swain, July 4, 2007 | |
| | | 2. Leesburg Freight Station Marker | | |
when traveling north. Click for map. Located about 25 feet west of Harrison Street on the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail. Marker is in this post office area: Leesburg VA 20175, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Stationmaster's House (about 600 feet away, in a direct line); Log House (about 600 feet away); Norman-Harding Barn (about 600 feet away); Dairy Barn (about 600 feet away); McKimmey's Mill (about 700 feet away); Osterburg Mill (about 700 feet away); The Depot (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Leesburg Lime Company (approx. 0.2 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Leesburg.
More about this marker. The background of the marker is a picture of the freight depot captioned, “Built after the first depot burned in 1898, the Leesburg freight building (photographed in 1951) was moved in 1985 to the present location on Harrison Street.” A smaller picture of the Leesburg Lime Company is captioned, “A postcard from the early 20th century shows the tracks through industrial Leesburg, looking west toward Harrison Street.”
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Leesburg Freight Station. (Submitted on August 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.)
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By Craig Swain, January 26, 2008 | |
| | | 3. The Relocated Freight Depot | | Now located a few blocks north on Harrison Street. | | |
2. The Washington and Old Dominion. Book by Ames Williams available on Amazon.com (Submitted on May 7, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
3. Rails to the Blue Ridge: The Washington and Old Dominion Railroad, 1847 - 1968. Book by Herbert Harwood available on Amazon.com (Submitted on May 7, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
Credits. This page originally submitted on August 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,456 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 17, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.
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