Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station

Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station blimpcaptain (Atlas Obscura User)

The original Silver Spring B&O Railroad Station was constructed in 1878. By the mid-1930s, it offered residents in the northwest parts of Washington D.C. and surrounding areas of Maryland the convenience of not having to travel to Union Station in downtown D.C. for rail travel.

The station was upgraded in 1945, laid on the foundation of the original station with embossed CALVERT bricks from Williamsport, Maryland. The newly-minted station was a fixture in downtown Silver Spring for decades, serving as a critical part of the city’s transit system.

In 1997, an automobile careened into the station causing significant damage. This incident was almost the end for the station if not for the efforts of the local community, who saved the depot from demolition. The station is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building that exists today served westbound riders in its heyday and now serves as a meeting space for private events.

Know Before You Go

The station is owned by Montgomery Preservation and can be rented for private events. There is ample parking outside the railroad station just south of the fire station.