Tracking Odenton History

Tracking Odenton History. The Town the Railroads Built. , Odenton's history is directly connected to the development of railroads in western Anne Arundel County during the 1800s and early 1900s. The town was a busy transit hub for the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad (later the Pennsylvania Railroad) and a commuter electric railroad that also provided connections to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The presence of these railroads sparked the development of a community and a commercial center with general stores, a hotel, and Odenton's first bank.

The success of the more and Ohio Railroad (B&O) spurred development of railroads across Maryland. Proximity to Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Annapolis drove railroad development across the county from the 1830s through the early 1900s. In 1840, the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad (A&E) connected Annapolis with the B&O with a junction near Savage, Maryland.

In July 1872, when the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad began service between Washington and Baltimore, it crossed the A&E. At the junction of these two major lines, Odenton was born. The new town, complete with a rail station and telegraph office, was named in honor of Oden Bowie, president of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad.

In 1908, new interurban lines of the WB&A Electric Railway helped spur the development of Odenton as a regional commercial center with general stores and the Murray Hotel, featuring a dining room, ballroom, stage, and bowling alley. Access to multiple railroads also encouraged the establishment of Camp Meade (now Fort George G. Meade) west of Odenton in 1917.

A new reliance upon automobiles and the Great Depression spelled the end for the WB&A in 1935. Odenton continues to be served by the state's MARC commuter trains, running on the line originally laid by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad and today owned by Amtrak.

The town the railroads built has changed significantly over the decades, but it has a bright future. The Odenton Historic District is comprised of more than 80 historic buildings clustered around the MARC station. Odenton's legacy and future remains as an important regional transportation hub. It has been identified as a location for transportation-oriented development in Maryland.

WB&A Electric Railway:
Modernity on the Rails

In the first decade of the 1500s, dramatic new change came to railroads in Anne Arundel County. In 1908, the WB&A Electric Railway began providing passengers service connecting Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis.

The WB&A's main north-south line ran parallel and slightly east of the Pennsylvania Railroad's main line. To provide service to Annapolis, the WB&A purchased what was once the Annapolis and Elk Ridge Railroad and electrified the route. The intersection of these lines was dubbed "Naval Academy Junction," located in Odenton short a distance from the Pennsylvania Railroad station (now the MARC train station). The W&A's station and switch tower were located at the current site of Academy Junction Plaza at the intersection of Piney Orchard Parkway and Annapolis Road.

The WB&A ceased operations in 1935. The switch tower still stands but has been heavily modified to serve as a small office building.

Today, portions of the main line's railbed are a paved hike/bike path. Starting at the intersection of Odenton Road and Piney Orchard Parkway, the WB&A trail runs approximately five miles south to Conway Road and ends near the Patuxent River.

The Odenton Heritage Society has created a virtual tour of Odenton's past, with descriptions of 29 places that shaped the town the railroad built. Access the map using the QR code (or visit www.odentonheritage.org).

(Caption):
An 1878 map produced by G. M. Hopkins shows the junction of the B&P and A&E railroads at Odenton. Most of the structures are residences, but also noted are a post office and two stores.