Kensington station (Maryland)

Template:MARC header
Template:MARC header
MARC commuter rail station
General information
Location	10417 Howard Avenue; Kensington, Maryland; United States
Owned by	MARC
Line(s)	Brunswick Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Ride On
Construction
Parking	Yes, 48 free spaces
Bicycle facilities	No
Accessible	No
History
Opened	1891 (B&O)
Passengers
2013	186 (MARC)
Services
B&O
	Kensington Railroad Station
	U.S. Historic district; Contributing property
Location	Kensington, Maryland, USA
Coordinates	39°1′36.4″N 77°4′18.5″W / 39.026778°N 77.071806°W
Architect	Ephraim Francis Baldwin
Architectural style	Late Victorian
Part of	Kensington Historic District (ID80001827)
Added to NRHP	September 14, 1980

Kensington is a passenger railroad station located at 10417 Howard Avenue in Kensington, Maryland, United States. Built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), the Kensington station is currently served by MARC Train's Brunswick Line. There are fifteen weekday scheduled stops at Kensington, as well as one flag stop scheduling on Fridays.

Station house

The Kensington station has a former B&O station master's house. The building is open during the Kensington Farmers Market, which is held in the station parking lot. Inside there is an old stove, waiting area, and restrooms. Tickets can be purchased from a self-service machine. During the Kensington Labor Day Parade, CSX Transportation, which currently owns the railroad line, offers free souvenirs. There is also a small model train layout. The platform is a low level concrete platform. On the other side there is a covered waiting area and some benches. Elaborate safety measures can be found on the crosswalk between the platforms leading to the station entrance that include crossbuck signs with warning bells, highway signs, and pedestrian signals.^[2]

History

The B&O completed construction of the Metropolitan Branch through Montgomery County in 1873.^[3]^: 7 The line connected Washington, D.C. to Cumberland, Maryland and points west.

Initially the settlement around the railroad line was known as Knowles Station. The town was incorporated in 1894 and was named Kensington at that time. The B&O station was designed by architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin and opened in 1891.^[3]^: 32–33 ^[4] From 1893 to 1935, the station was used as a terminal for the Kensington Electric Railway and offered passenger service to Chevy Chase, Maryland. The station is a contributing property to the Kensington Historic District.

Gallery

MARC Locomotive #72 arrives at Kensington Station
Kensington Station shelter

References

^ National Register of Historic Places Listings; September 14, 1980
^ Flickr photo by John Mueller
^ ^a ^b Soderberg, Susan C. (1998). The Met: A History of the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad, Its Stations and Towns. Germantown, MD: Germantown Historical Society.
^ Traceries and Preservation Associates (1992). Vision of Kensington: A Long-Range Preservation Plan (PDF) (Report). Montgomery County Council, Rockville, MD. p. 14.

External links

[1] National Register of Historic Places Listings; September 14, 1980

[2] Flickr photo by John Mueller

[Soderberg-3] Soderberg, Susan C. (1998). The Met: A History of the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad, Its Stations and Towns. Germantown, MD: Germantown Historical Society.

[4] Traceries and Preservation Associates (1992). Vision of Kensington: A Long-Range Preservation Plan (PDF) (Report). Montgomery County Council, Rockville, MD. p. 14.

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