By Gavin Baker (Guest Contributor)

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, which has shaped and connected our community since its construction.

Built from Washington Union Station to Point of Rocks, MD, today the Metropolitan Branch is owned by CSX. For passenger service, today it’s used by MARC’s Brunswick Line to Frederick, MD, and Martinsburg, WV, as well as Amtrak’s Capitol Limited to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Chicago.

The Metropolitan Branch is also the backbone for two other important routes near our neighborhood. Metrorail’s Red Line follows the Metropolitan Branch between Union Station and Silver Spring. In addition, the Metropolitan Branch Trail follows its namesake from NoMa from Fort Totten, then continues on-street (for the time being) until Takoma Park, where its route again follows the railroad to the north.

The Metropolitan Branch doesn’t just go through the neighborhood – its trains also used to stop here. There were stations at Terra Cotta, near today’s Fort Totten Metro station; Lamond, apparently near Whittier Street; and Chillum, somewhere in between Terra Cotta and Lamond, possibly near Riggs Road. For instance, here’s a timetable from 1919, when the train stopped at all three stations. However, the area was probably less well known for the stations than for the train wreck near Terra Cotta in 1906 that killed 53 people.

With regard to the 150^th anniversary: Service on the line actually began in 1869, but it only went as far north as Silver Spring at that time. It took another four years to complete construction to Point of Rocks.

On April 30, 1873, an inspection tour of the new line left from Washington. The opening was evidently a major event; notable guests on the train included General William Tecumseh Sherman, Alexander “Boss” Shepherd (the last Governor of D.C. and namesake of the Shepherd Park neighborhood), two U.S. Senators, and the Postmaster General.

Regular passenger service on the full line started on May 25, 1873.

To commemorate the 150th anniversary, our neighbors in Montgomery County are hosting a variety of activities this month.