Train Station Museum, Woodsboro, Maryland

Have you ever heard of the small town of Woodsboro, Maryland?  You have not heard of this famous Maryland town known as Woodsboro?  Well, most people have never heard of this town to probably include many who live in the region.  The town is named after Joseph Wood, a man born in Gloucester, England to whom the land grant was given.  The town was laid out in 1786 as Woodsberry.  The name changed a few times before it finally became Woodsboro.

What major events took place here?

As far as it is known, no major historic events took place here.  It is the home of two sites on the National Registry of Historic Places.  The one site is the LeGore Bridge, and the other site is the Woods Mill Farm.  For many years, it was also the home of the Rosebud Perfume Company which was founded in this town.  It is still the home of a few rock quarries.  No famous people were born here.  The town is in the midst of a region of famous towns of Frederick, a town of American Civil War battles and homes, the town of Thurmont, the home of Camp David, the United States Presidential retreat, Emmitsburg, the home of Elizabeth Seton, the first American born canonized saint who is also buried in a shrine named for her, and Gettysburg, the home of the great battle that was the turning point of the American Civil War.  Maryland Routes 194 and 550 are the only routes that pass through this town.

Some of you are saying, “Well, that is interesting.  Here is this out of the way town that is out of the way with two national historic sites.  Is there anybody who saw any significance to this Maryland town called Woodsboro?”

That is a good question.  You will have to say that the Pennsylvania Railroad saw this town as significant.  How?  They built a small railroad station here.  Yes, the small town of Woodsboro, Maryland had regular passenger and freight service that connected Frederick with the rest of the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pennsylvania.

Some of you are saying, “I see. I bet that when the Pennsylvania Railroad was taken over by the Penn Central Railroad, the tracks were taken up, and this small train station was demolished.  Now the little town of Woodsboro is on the list of old railroad town that no longer sees the railroad.”

If you were making a bet on this, you would lose.

The Penn Central Railroad did continue freight service on this line until they abandoned it, but railroad service did not cease altogether.  The line itself only goes as far south as Walkersville with the Walkersville Southern Railroad running excursions at the southern end, and the Maryland Midland Railroad uses this line to serve a quarry that is in the town of Woodsboro.  It may not be as busy as it was during the days of the Pennsylvania Railroad, but trains still do pass here.

What about the old train station?

The old train station is no longer an active train station.  Today, it is a small museum that tells the history of Woodsboro and displays artifacts not only from the town but from the American Revolutionary War to include an old uniform from a group known as the ‘Sons of America’.  You can also see old photos from the days when the railroad served the old depot and an old store across the street.  You will also see old street maps to include the map of the original tracks at the depot.  It may be a simple small depot, but it carries a whole lot of the history of Woodsboro to include its history as a railroad town.

The Train Station Museum in Woodsboro, Maryland is owned and operated by the Woodsboro Historical Society.  The train station is at its original location at the railroad crossing at 6 Woodsboro Creagarstown Road (Maryland Route 550) in Woodsboro, Maryland.  It is open on the second Saturday of each month from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, or you can make an appointment to visit on your own time.  Admission is free, but they really appreciate any donation to keep the museum running for many generations to come.  Parking is on site.  Please note that the museum currently is not wheelchair accessible.  You can get more information about the museum at https://woodsborohistoricalsociety.org/.

So, do you think that there is anything significant about the small Maryland town of Woodsboro?  The Pennsylvania Railroad did, and the Maryland Midland Railway does today.  When you walk through the Train Station Museum, you will too.