President Street Station
| Company type | Historic train station and museum |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation (historical), Museum |
| Founded | February 18, 1850 in Baltimore, Maryland, United States |
| Headquarters | Baltimore , United States |
| Products | Passenger train services (historical), Museum exhibits |
| Website | www |
The President Street Station located in Baltimore, Maryland, is a historic former train station and railway terminal. Constructed in 1849 and commencing operations in February 1850, this station played a significant role during the early years of the American Civil War (1861-1865), witnessing notable conflict-related events. It holds the distinction of being the oldest major city railroad terminal still standing in the United States.
In 1997, the station underwent preservation and restoration efforts, leading to its conversion into the Baltimore Civil War Museum.
19th century
Established in 1832, the Baltimore and Port Deposit Rail Road (B&PD) completed its rail connection from Baltimore to the western bank of the Susquehanna River by 1837. The Baltimore endpoint of this line was situated on the eastern side of the basin now called the Inner Harbor, at the southern terminus of President Street.
The B&PD facilitated freight exchanges with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which was founded in 1827 as the oldest railroad in America. The B&O's tracks extended along Pratt Street to reach the eastern basin harbor area from its original depot at Mount Clare, located on the western side of downtown Baltimore.
Passengers traveling on B&PD and its successor, the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad (PW&B), were transferred to B&O’s initial downtown depot by means of a horse-drawn car operating on B&O’s connecting line. This method was necessary because steam locomotives were banned from this segment due to safety regulations. By 1838, PW&B provided passenger service from Philadelphia through Baltimore, allowing connections westward via B&O or southward toward Washington, D.C.
The PW&B established its own station at the southwestern corner of President Street and Canton Avenue, which included extensive train yards, a roundhouse, maintenance shops, and freight warehouses covering approximately six city blocks along Canton Avenue (later renamed Fleet Street). The station, designed in Greek Revival style, officially opened on February 18, 1850.
The original structure featured a brick head house topped with an arched roof and a barrel-vaulted train shed extending over the tracks. In 1852, PW&B expanded by adding a freight house adjacent to the passenger facility, mirroring its architectural style.
American Civil War
On February 23, 1861, President-elect Abraham Lincoln, traveling incognito after concluding his inauguration whistle stop train tour, transferred from President Street Station to Camden Station as part of measures to avoid an assassination attempt known as the Baltimore Plot.
The station was also a focal point during the Baltimore riot of 1861, when Massachusetts state militia forces heading to Washington, D.C. were attacked by a crowd of Southern sympathizers and supporters of the Confederacy near B&O Camden Station. This violent encounter caused several fatalities and numerous injuries. On April 19, 1861, Baltimore residents sympathetic to the South assaulted both the passing 6th Massachusetts infantry and Pennsylvania's "Washington Brigade," who were en route to reinforce Washington following President Lincoln’s call for troops after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter.
In 1873, the newly organized Union Railroad constructed tracks in northeastern Baltimore that linked the original PW&B main line with the Northern Central Railway (NCRY), which traveled northward to York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This route passed through what became known as the Union Tunnel leading to NCRY’s Charles Street Station. Originally called "Union Station," it underwent two reconstructions before being renamed "Pennsylvania Station" in 1928.
20th century
The station located on North Charles Street, along with its subsequent replacements, effectively took over passenger services from President Street Station. While the latter maintained freight operations into the 1940s, it continued to handle some passenger trains only until 1911. After acquiring the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad in 1881, the Pennsylvania Railroad dismantled the eastern train shed following snow damage in 1913 and constructed a smaller shed featuring a wooden roof.
The train shed was later repurposed as a warehouse before being destroyed by fire, leaving solely the head house standing by 1970 when the site was abandoned. In 1979, Baltimore took ownership of the neglected structure with plans to demolish it to make way for a proposed southern extension of the Jones Falls Expressway (Interstate 83), a project that ultimately never materialized.
A snowstorm in 1989 caused the collapse of the station’s wooden arched roof.
Baltimore Civil War Museum
During the 1990s, restoration efforts for the vacant station were supported through a public-private collaboration led by Friends of the President Street Station (FofPSS). The building reopened in April 1997 as the "Baltimore Civil War Museum," with support from the nearby Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum.
The museum was initially operated by President Street Station, Inc. until 2000, after which management was shared with the Maryland Historical Society (MdHS) until 2006. The original lease agreement was set to expire in 2017.
Due to financial challenges, the museum temporarily closed in 2007 but later resumed weekend operations through volunteers from MdHS and FofPSS. In February 2010, it observed Black History Month but experienced intermittent closures caused by snowfall.
In 2009, Baltimore announced intentions to designate the depot as a historic landmark and invited proposals for commercial development on its grounds. Friends of President Street Station opposed commercial ventures, advocating instead for preservation under National Park Service oversight. The city insisted that any commercial activities respect the historical significance of the site and preferred partnerships that would allow multiple uses.
As of 2015, Friends of President Street Station continue to manage museum operations.
National Park Service study
In 2015, Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin introduced legislation known as the President Street Station Study Act, authorizing the National Park Service (NPS) to evaluate the possibility of incorporating the station into the National Park System. This measure was included within the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act passed in 2019.
Following this legislation’s enactment, NPS initiated its study of President Street Station in 2019. A public meeting and comment period were held in 2022, with completion of the study anticipated in 2023.
External links
- Official website
- "Historic President Street Station" at Visit Baltimore