Martinsburg in Berkeley County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
Martinsburg Roundhouse
Jackson and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
— Antietam Campaign —
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, June 16, 2007
1. Martinsburg Roundhouse Marker
In April 1861, as the Civil War erupted, Confederate forces seized the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Harpers Ferry west. On May 24, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston ordered Col. Thomas J. (later “Stonewall”) Jackson to destroy the rolling stock here at Martinsburg, a Unionist stronghold. Jackson began his task on June 13, soon burning 300 cars and destroying 42 locomotives. “It was sad work,” Jackson wrote his wife Anna, “but I had my orders and my duty was to obey.” He dismantled a few of the locomotives, and 40-horse teams dragged them up the Martinsburg and Winchester Turnpike and then along the Valley Turnpike to Strasburg, where the first engine was reassembled. Ironically, the track there was of a different width, so the locomotives could not be used in the Shenandoah Valley. Several were transported in pieces to Richmond, reassembled, and put to use. In Martinsburg, by the end of June, the roundhouse complex had been stripped of all the stationary equipment, tools, and a 40-foot turntable. The roundhouse and shops suffered only minor damage.
Jackson returned to Martinsburg in October 1862, following the Battle of Antietam, Maryland. He was in the midst of destroying Baltimore and Ohio Railroad property including twenty miles of track between Harpers Ferry and North Mountain.
this page online
Erected by West Virginia Civil War Trails.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), and the West Virginia Civil War Trails series lists. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1861.
Location. 39° 27.588′ N, 77° 57.678′ W. Marker is in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in Berkeley County. Marker is on East Commerce Street just north of East race Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 132 E Race St, Martinsburg WV 25401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Shop Complex (here, next to this marker); Baltimore and Ohio Roundhouse and Shop Complex (here, next to this marker); Belle Boyd House (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Belle Boyd House (within shouting distance of this marker); Berkeley Hotel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Belle Boyd
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, June 16, 2007
2. Three Markers Overlooking the Shops
Markers on a rise across the railroad tracks from the shops, across from the Belle Boyd Complex. The train station is to the right. One of the roundhouses is behind the tree.
More about this marker. On the upper left side of the marker is a Alfred Waud drawing of burned Martinsburg roundhouse from the Library of Congress. On the lower left is a photograph of the Martinsburg roundhouse complex, ca. 1850s. To the center is a portrait of General Jackson.
Also see . . .
1. East End: B&O's Neck of the Bottle. Harpers Ferry to Cumberland 1842 - 1992. (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
2. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in the Potomac Valley (Golden Years of Railroading). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
3. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (Railroad Color History). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
4. Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (MBI Railroad Color History). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
5. Baltimore and Ohio's Capitol Limited and National Limited (Great Passenger Trains). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
6. Route of the National Limited (Baltimore and Ohio Passenger Service, Volume 1). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
7. Route of the Capitol Limited (Baltimore and Ohio Passenger Service, Volume 2). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
8. The Great Road: The Building of the Baltimore and Ohio, The Nation's First Railroad 1828 - 1853. (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
9. The Baltimore and Ohio in the Civil War. (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
10. The Baltimore and Ohio in West Virginia (Images of Rail). (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
11. The Jones-Imboden Raid: The Confederate Attempt to Destroy the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. (Submitted on May 2, 2008, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland.)
Photographed By Tom Fuchs, June 16, 2007
3. 1842 B&O Railroad Station
All but this stationhouse was destroyed by Confederate General Jackson. The shop buildings and roundhouses across from the station were built after the war.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 11, 2011
4. Martinsburg Roundhouse
Credits. This page was last revised on May 6, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,789 times since then and 29 times this year. Last updated on May 5, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 19, 2007, by Tom Fuchs of Greenbelt, Maryland. 4. submitted on April 15, 2011, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
