Friends of Historic Brunswick

History of Brunswick

Originally named "Eel Town" and home to the Susquehanna Indians, the area that would eventually be known as Brunswick was a town  developed by the expansion of the B&O Railroad.  By 1883, the railroad had determined Brunswick- by then re-named "Berlin"- would be an appropriate area for a railyard to service trains traveling between Washington, Philadelphia and Baltimore. At the time of Brunswick's official incorporation in 1890 the B&O Railroad owned most of the town.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s the railroad began changing from steam to diesel power.  Trains running on diesel could travel farther on fewer stops, and the need for the midpoint yard in Brunswick became less and less of a necessity.  By the mid-1950s the steam engine was a thing of the past, and Brunswick saw the eventual economic decline that accompanied the switch to diesel power. The roundhouse and WB switch tower became obsolete and fell into disrepair from lack of use.  

Today, Brunswick has over 6,000 residents and is the second largest city in Frederick County.  Annual events include Railroad Days - a two day festival the first weekend in October celebrating the city's railroad history, and the Veteran's Day parade on the Sunday before Veteran's Day- one of the longest ongoing parades of its type in the nation. The historic area was listed as a National Register Historic District in 1979, and a smaller downtown area was designated as a Maryland Main Street in 2004.  For more information visit the City's website at www.brunswickmd.gov.