Hagerstown Railway

Hagerstown Railway. . The only trolley system to operate in Washington County was started with the creation of the Hagerstown Railway in 1896. It consisted of a loop around the outer edges of town, and crossing lines that ran north-south on Potomac Street and east-west on Washington Street. A branch also extended service to Willliamsport and in 1897, service was extended to Funkstown. By 1902, an extension was completed to Boonsboro, and in 1904, the railway extended to Myersville where it connected with the trolley system that served Frederick. The Hagerstown and Frederick Railway was one of only a few inter-urban trolley systems in the nation. , , Demand for trolley service declined with the explosion of private automobile ownership, the establishment of US Route 40 and bus service. The last active trolley in Washington County was the line that ran between Hagerstown and Williamsport. Service ended on this line in 1947. , , This building served as the “trolley barn” for the Hagerstown Railway.