Existing comment:
The Lower Depot Neighborhood
The railroad transformed 19th century America, facilitating long-distance travel and the efficient transfer of raw materials to factories and agricultural and manufactured goods to markets. For Frederick this transformation began in 1831 when the nation's first railroad, the Baltimore & Ohio, opened a branch line to the city. The first B&O depot stood east of South Carroll Street.
In 1872, the Frederick & Pennsylvania Line Railroad was laid down the center of East Street, joining with the B&O tracks east of Water Street. Improved rail connections spurred industrial development in the area. By the close of the 19th century, the local industrial district included two tanners, a flour mill, a coal yard, a step-ladder factory, a canning company, a spoke factory, a bridge works, a brush factory, knitting mills, two ice factories, and a brickworks.
The area continued as the industrial heart of the city well into the 20th century. Many neighborhood residents worked in nearby factories and coal yards. The 1910 federal census indicated that 236 inhabitants lived in the area. Of these, thirteen were employed by the railroad, seven by the Frederick Brick Works, and ten by the Union Manufacturing Company, a hosiery mill. As technology and the economy evolved, many of the factories closed, and the neighborhood entered a period of decline. With the opening of the MARC branch line, the Lower Depot Neighborhood found new life in a new century.
Plaque prepared for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) as part of the MARC Frederick Service Project
Passenger train service resumed December 10, 2001 |