A Rural Vacation Spot

A Rural Vacation Spot (HM5L6)

Location: Arbutus, MD 21227 Baltimore County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 13.34', W 76° 42.708'

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Inscription
Beginning in 1873, the picturesque Viaduct Station Hotel complimented the Thomas Viaduct. The Viaduct Hotel was built in the town of Relay as a rural vacation spot and a comfortable place for passangers to change trains. The hotel was a forerunner of many notable station hotels constructed by the B&O and other railroads.

Designed by B&O architect E. Francis Baldwin, the station's gothic architecture with extravagant stonework, grand towers and many windows belied its modest size. An exquisite Victorian garden adorned the station's exterior.

The town of Relay proved to be a poor location for such a magnificent structure. By the 1870s, Relay had ceased to be a major interchange point for intercity passenger trains. Though the station attracted a trickle of vacationers, by the 20th century it was used primarily for employee housing, offices and storage. It was demolished in 1950.

"The station was the showplace of the line; many people, overwhelmed by the scenery and the clear air, stayed in the comfortable Viaduct Hotel all summer. Near by was a large park, a beautiful garden filled with shrubs and flowers and shade trees. usually that area was quiet and serene, but on the Fourth it was transformed into a combination carnival and county fair." - John Randolph Stidman, Baltimore Sun, June 28, 1953.

Text with middle left photo: The McCartney Monument stands near the location of the former Viaduct Hotel. Erected in June 1835 by contractor John McCartney, this obelisk commemorates the extraordinary effort that went into building the Thomas Viaduct.

Text with lower middle photo: The Viaduct Hotel's "English Romantic" garden.

Text with upper middle photo: A promotional photo taken shortly after the Viaduct Hotel's opening in 1873.
Details
HM NumberHM5L6
Series This marker is part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) series
Tags
Placed ByMaryland Department of Natural Resources, Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Saturday, October 4th, 2014 at 9:44am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 352232 N 4342845
Decimal Degrees39.22233333, -76.71180000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 13.34', W 76° 42.708'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 13' 20.40" N, 76° 42' 42.48" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)410, 443, 240
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 122-198 River Rd, Arbutus MD 21227, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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