The U.S. state of Maryland is the state where the Star Spangled Banner was written. It was the state that donated the land that would become the District of Columbia and the capital of the United States of America. It was where the first railroad in the Western Hemisphere began. There is so much to this state. It is where you will find the small town of Mount Airy. Located in the Washington-Baltimore Metropolitan region, it is a town that pales in comparison to the more famous towns of nearby Frederick, Annapolis, Baltimore, Hagerstown, Ocean City, and Cumberland. In this town, you will find Watkins Park. Watkins Park? Some of the D.C. area locals will confuse this park with Watkins Park located in the historic town of Upper Marlboro, but this is a different park with the same name. What is special about Watkins Park in Mount Airy, Maryland? It is a park with picnic tables with shelters and grills, softball and baseball fields plus soccer fields, a playground, and courts for basketball, tennis, and volleyball. It is a park for the neighborhood. Watkins Park in Mount Airy, Maryland is a place where you can relax and enjoy.
Some of you are saying, “This is very interesting. You have two parks in Maryland with the same name. There is a big problem with this park. What is the problem? There is no railroad here. Therefore, I will not be ‘parked’ here.”
Why visit Watkins Park in Mount Airy, Maryland? Let us begin in the year 1827.
What happened in 1827? Well, a whole lot of things. Let us go to the city of Baltimore. The day was February 27. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was born. The first leg of the railroad ran east from the Mount Clare Station to the town of Ellicott Mills. (The town is called Ellicott City today, and the oldest surviving train station in the United States of America is here. It is no longer an active train station, but it is open as a museum.) The railroad went west from here. It went to the town of Mount Airy, Maryland. Many years later, the railroad line was relocated south, and the railroad no longer served the town of Mount Airy.
This brings us to Watkins Park.
Yes, it is a park that has picnic tables, ball fields, and a playground just like any other neighborhood park. What is special about this park? Another feature of this park is that it has a nature trail.
Some of you are saying, “Big deal! Many parks have nature trails.”
That is true, but this one is very special. How special? It is only a mile long. Most of it is paved with a boardwalk. It begins at Watkins Park. You walk the trail to the end, and you see something amazing. What do you see that is amazing? You see the old Mount Airy Train Station. (The train station is now a museum.)
Some of you are saying, “That is nice that you see an old train station on the trail, but that is nothing special.”
Well, as you walk along the trail, you notice something that looks like a railroad cut. Ladies and gentlemen, the trail was part of the original Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Line that ran between Baltimore and the small town of Point of Rocks. (The old train station at Point of Rocks was on a postal stamp, and it still stands today.)
As you can see, Watkins Park in Mount Airy, Maryland is a local park that holds a piece of railroad history.
Watkins Park in Mount Airy, Maryland is located at 615 Center Street in, of course, Mount Airy, Maryland. It is right off of Maryland Route 27 and north of Interstate 70 and U.S. Route 40. The park is open from sunrise to sunset, and the trail is accessible to wheelchairs.
The next time you hear about Watkins Park in Mount Airy, Maryland, please do not confuse it with the park in Upper Marlboro. Think of it as a simple neighborhood park with a railroad past.
