St. Mary's County does not have any railroads, but at one time it did. The Southern Maryland Railroad was incorporated on March 20, 1868. The railroad ran from the Pope's Creek branch of the Pennsylvania RR to the Naval Air Test Center in Patuxent River, MD with plans to extend all the way to Point Lookout.

Rival railroad companies stalled the start of construction and it wasn't until 1881 that the first train was run serving Charlotte Hall and Mechanicsville. It wasn't until the construction of the Naval Air Test Center in 1942 that the tracks were extended to Patuxent River.

In 1953 the railroad fell into disrepair. The extensive maintenance costs were too much to keep it in business and the line was closed in 1954. The last run was made in July of 1954 from the Naval Air Test Center to Hollywood, MD. In April of 1966 the St. Mary's County Commissioners purchased the abandoned right of way and the tracks were eventually removed.

Surprisingly, some artifacts remain along the old right of way. On Saturday, April 21st, I followed the old line from Hughesville, MD, South towards Lexington Park. It seemed the further South I went, the harder it was to find the roadbed due to overgrowth and construction over the last few decades. Below are some of the surprises that I found, some right in the open and a couple almost invisible from the roadside.

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Hughesville, MD - MP12, MP13, and Whistle Post

The mileposts were triangular with the milage engraved on the two sides facing the track. In the second photo, you can see its vicinity to Rt 235.


This view shows the milepost and the railroad's right of way.




Milepost 13 is next to a church's parking lot in Hughesville. MD.


The right of way is where the gravel road is today.


The whistle post is just South of MP13. You can see MP13 just above the point of the wistlepost.


Click here to see the locations of the photos.

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Charlotte Hall, MD - MP15 and Whistle Post

Milepost 15 is hidden along Old Rt 5. It is on private property adjacent to the road, so you cannot get very close to it. It sits much lower than the previous two mileposts.




Click here to see the location of the photo.

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Forrest Hall / Oraville, MD - Whistle Posts and Right of Way Markers.

This wistlepost is hidden among the grey trunks of the surrounding trees, and it just happened to catch my eye as I drove by.


The right of way adjacent to the wistlepost. In the background you can see the road, which is why the wistlepost was installed in this location.






These were a surprise. I have never seen Right of Way markers and these were particularly interesting. These had "USN" engraved in them. Since the line South of Mechanicsville was put in for the sole need of building the Naval base, the Navy must have had alot to do with purchasing land.

Click here to see the location of the photos.

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Laurel Grove, MD - MP25

Milepost 25 is right in the open if you knew where it was. I have passed it many times. It is located at Laurel Grove Park next to the convienience store.

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Oakville, MD - Whistle Post

Hidden in the ivy is a whistle post. This right of way is just above a hill paralleling 235.

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Hillville, MD - MP 30, MP31, and Whistle Post

Milepost 30 has seen better days. It probably was damaged when the power lines were put in. These markers were made to last. There is rebar at each corner and it's hard to say how deep these markders go in the ground. Milepost 31 is convieniently located next to a parking lot.

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Hollywood, MD - MP 33

Milepost 33 is located at the corner of St. Johns Road and Route 235. The grey color makes it blend into the tree trunk.

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