Existing comment:
The Cumberland Valley Railroad
The first railroad to serve Hagerstown was the Franklin Railroad (F.R.R.). The City of Hagerstown invested $20,000 in this venture. The F.R.R. connected Hagerstown to the Cumberland Valley Railroad (C.V.R.R.) which ran from Chambersburg to Harrisburg. Service began in 1841. Entering town from the northwest, the line ran down Walnut Street and ended at this location. The first F.R.R. depot was located on the west side of Walnut Street (behind you). The Franklin Railroad replaced locomotives with horse teams in 1844 and then was sold at sheriff's sale in 1849 for a mere $600. and soon transferred to C.V.R.R. Although C.V.R.R. was sold to the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1859, it retained it [sic] local name.
The lines ran down Walnut Street until the 1950s, when the City arranged for the construction of the elevated rail overpass behind you. This area served as a depot for Union army supplies during the Civil War. |