Connecting Centreville to the Worlds of Commerce Beyond the Eastern Shore

Connecting Centreville to the Worlds of Commerce Beyond the Eastern Shore. Centreville Heritage Trail. Thomas Emory , Thomas Emory, a Queen Anne's County War of 18 12 hero, was the first to work toward a railroad system on the Eastern Shore. He led the effort in the state legislature traveling to Europe on behalf of the State in an attempt to raise capital from London and Paris banks for the Eastern Shore railroad., Though unsuccessful and in spite of the 1840 action of the State cutting off all funds for the Eastern Shore Railroad project, the project was resurrected in 1856 legislation. This was 14 years after Emory's death. It would take another 12 years before construction began for the railroad in 1868 and Emory's dream was realized., William McKenney , William McKenney, Centreville's most important businessman of the late 1800's and early 1900's, was a major railroad stockholder. He sold a large portion of his home property for the rail yard for just $1000., Caption on the right: , This 1877 map of Centreville from the Lake, Griffing and Stevenson Atlas shows the first signs of Centreville's rail yard as it was first organized., Over the next 40 years the rail yard expanded to include livestock pens, the freight shed, and the dairy cooling station., Timeline on the bottom: , 1856 - Legislation Incorporates Queen Anne's and Kent Railroad , 1867 - Legislation Reincorporates Queen Anne's and Kent Railroad , 1868 - Construction of Massey to Centreville Line Begins , 1869 - Operations Commence from Townsend, Del. to Centreville 25.9 Miles by Queen Anne's and Kent Railroad , 1875 - Sale of Queen Anne's and Kent Railroad to Charles Hutchinson, et al , 1876 - Session Law to reincorporate the Queen Anne's and Kent Railroad , 1899 - Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore RR formed from Queen Anne's and Kent Railroad plus other Delmarva Railroads , 1918 - January 1, 1918 - PA RR assumes lease of 1899 RR , 1968 - PA Railroad and NY Central becomes Penn Central , 1976 - April 1976 - Conrail takes over Delmarva rail lines , 1982 - Penn Central assets sold to State of Maryland , 2002 - June 11, 2002 - Freight operations cease at Centreville yard , 2007 - Dec. 21, 2007 - Town of Centreville purchases Centreville Yard from Maryland $336,000