The Industry and Transportation Tour

Western Maryland Scenic Railroad

Cumberland, MD - A scenic railroad station with prominent industrial history

Visit what was once an active transportation link between the coalfields of the Allegheny Mountains and the urban markets at the upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay. Enjoy a train ride through the western Maryland landscape. 

Built in 1913, this Western Maryland Railway Station stands today as a reminder of Cumberland’s crucial role in the national transportation system. During the 19th century, three major transportation routes were centered in Cumberland: the National Road, the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Cumberland prospered by transporting raw materials, products, and people between the East Coast and newer states out West. It facilitated the coal and iron mining industry as well as the timber harvest of the Appalachian Forest that helped supply the American industrial revolution.

The depot’s architectural style is reflective of an era of functionality. It was incredibly popular for buildings to be designed based solely on their usage rather than decorative or extravagant. The Headquarters of the Scenic Railroad is located on the second floor of the depot. The trains run through the gorgeous countryside between Cumberland and Frostburg, MD. 

Season: year round

See their  website  for booking information.

Allegany Museum

Cumberland, MD - A museum exploring Allegany County's central role in all kinds of transportation

The Allegany Museum offers a deep dive into the historic city of Cumberland and the greater Allegany region. The city has been known as a transportation hub, home to the first federally funded highway, the terminus of the C&O Canal, and the center for the railroad industry.

The museum is housed in a 1932 Art Deco building originally constructed as a Federal Courthouse and Post Office. The Allegany Museum collects the material culture of the people, past and present, of the Allegany region. They especially feature the evolution of transportation in the Potomac Highlands from the mid 18th century to the 20th century. 

Season: April - December

Hours: See  website.  

LaVale Toll Gate House & the National Road

La Vale, MD - The historic Toll House at Mile 0 of the National Road

The construction of this tollhouse symbolized the United States' inaugural expansion into the west. The National Road, established in 1811, was the first federally funded road. Mile 0 was set in Cumberland, making it the "Gateway to the West." The tollhouse was built in 1835 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its importance and unique structure. You can view it from the outside or visit by appointment.

From Cumberland to the tollhouse, travel down Alternate Route 40 to pass through the Narrows, a 900-foot gorge between Wills and Haystack mountains carved by Will's Creek, that early settlers used to travel west. Railroads later followed the path, looking to avoid the steep terrain. Ascend Wills Mountain to stand atop its cliffs and look out on breathtaking views.

Can be visited by  appointment only .

Garrett County Historical Museum & Transportation Museum

Oakland, MD - Two museums exploring the relationships between transportation and Garrett County

The Garrett County Historical Museum houses nine exhibit rooms, each highlighting local history. The B&O/Garrett Room delves into the life of John Garrett and the impact of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Garrett County. John Garrett served as president of the B&O and is namesake for the county. You will find the pervasive influence of the B&O railroad on Garrett County throughout the museum's exhibits. In the Industrial Room explore the county's other economic engines, from farming to mining to fur. 

The Transportation Museum down the block focuses on the many other ways to get around, from classic cars to sleighs and sailboats.

 Historical Museum  hours: 10:00AM - 3:00PM, Thursday - Saturday

Transportation Museum: see  website 

Oakland B&O Museum

Oakland, MD - A museum about the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, a trailblazer of national history

Built in 1884, the building which was the Oakland B&O Train Depot is now the home of the Oakland B&O Museum. The B&O was the nation's first and one of its most important railroads. Linking Baltimore to the west, it played a crucial role in the industrialization and expansion of the US.

The station, in Queen Anne style, is a centerpiece of Oakland’s historic architecture and is one of the most distinguished historic depots in the country. Exhibit cases display their collection of local artifacts to tell the stories of Oakland, MD. Climb aboard to explore the 1920 locomotive in front of the museum for some hands-on history!

See the  Oakland B&O Depot & Museum’s website  for hourly and seasonal information. 

Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad

Romney, WV - A scenic railroad for the gorgeous Potomac Highlands

Hampshire County has continued as a largely agricultural area since its initial settlement. Villages served as local trade centers and stops along important transportation corridors, including the Northwestern Turnpike and B&O Railroad. The Potomac Eagle excursion trains operate out of Romney, WV and run on the tracks once used by the B&O railroad.

Mid-century C&O diesel locomotives pull refurbished freight and passenger cars during a 3.5-hour narrated trip through the scenic valley along the south branch of the Potomac River known as The Trough. There are views of farmhouses and buildings dating back to the 1700’s as well as frequent bald eagle sightings. 

Season: May - December

See  their website  for booking details.

Traveller's Rest & the Northwestern Turnpike

Burlington, WV - A stagecoach stop turned flea market and museum along a historic route

Traveller's Rest, also known as the Old Stone House, was constructed in 1828 to service the Northwestern Turnpike. The Turnpike was established by the state of Virginia in the 1830s in order to compete with northern trade routes and the National Road. The route, first suggested by George Washington, was an ‘all Virginia’ way to connect the new frontier with the old. It intended to harness the flow of trade, economic influence, and people that defined the early 19th century. 

The portion of US 50 from Winchester, Virginia to Parkersburg, West Virginia follows the historic Northwestern Turnpike. Traveller's Rest served as a stop along the Turnpike’s stage coach line and over its lifespan doubled as a tavern, inn, and a house "to keep public entertainment."

Travelers Rest has a seasonally open flea market and the second floor hosts an exhibit on the Twin Mountain and Potomac Railroad, a line that briefly ran from 1911-1919 to transport fruit from the Twin Mountain Orchards in Hampshire County to Keyser, WV where it met the B&O Railroad.

Find more on their  Facebook page .

Virginia Iron Furnace

Albright, WV - The remains of an iron furnace near a waterfall park

Located in Muddy Creek Park, the Virginia Iron Furnace stands as a 30-foot pyramid that once smelted iron ore mined from the nearby Briery Mountain. The park lies along WV-26 near Albright, WV and features a waterfall and a picnic area. 

The furnace operated in the late 1800s and was powered by the strength of the Muddy Creek waterfall. West Virginian iron declined following the discovery of iron beds out west, and the Virginia furnace became the last charcoal iron furnace remaining by the time it closed in 1890. In its heyday it produced twenty-five tons of pig iron weekly and shipped this iron out on the B&O Railroad to urban centers such as Wheeling and Baltimore.

Located outdoors at Muddy Creek Park.

Buxton & Landstreet Gallery & Studios (Davis Coal and Coke Company Store)

Thomas, WV - The Davis Coal and Coke Company Store turned into an artisan gallery

The Buxton & Landstreet Artisan Gallery showcases the work of local Appalachian artists and artisans. Pottery classes, workshops, and other custom classes are available on site. The gallery is housed in the former company store for the Davis Coal and Coke Company in the former company town of Coketon. The B&L building is well preserved and retains many historical architectural features including its industrial ceiling, white brick walls, and hardwood floors. 

Industry tycoon Henry Davis held rights to the railways, the coal mine, the Coal and Coke Company, and the company store, practically monopolizing the act of living. Workers were often paid in company scrip, small brass “trade coins” only usable as tender in the company store. At the store workers purchased necessary food, clothing, and more.

Hours: 11 AM - 5 PM, Thursday - Monday

See  Facebook page  for details on more.

Tucker County Coke Ovens

Thomas, WV - Abandoned beehive coke ovens along the scenic Blackwater Canyon Trail

In the late 19th century, coal and timber products were hauled by locomotives through the stunning Blackwater Canyon. Along this former railroad, you can find the remains of the coke ovens belonging to the Davis Coal and Coke Company. Workers shoveled coal into the beehive ovens where they were baked into coke in a 48-hour process. The Coal and Coke Co. operated around 600 ovens lined in a row on either side of the railroad. The coke would then be transported to industrial centers to be used as fuel for smelting iron ore into steel.

The Blackwater Canyon Trail, now a rail trail, runs for 10.5 miles along the Blackwater River. The coke ovens run along the trail near Thomas can be reached by car, on foot, or bike by taking Rail Falls Road.

If you walk further down the trail from the coke ovens, you will find Douglas Falls, a beautiful blue waterfall rushing down rust colored rocks. The golden hue to the rocks is a result of pollution from the coal mining and coke smelting; the harsh acid from the coke ovens turned the rocks orange. 

These are located outdoors on the  Blackwater Canyon Trail .

Barbour County Historical Museum (Philippi Depot)

Philippi, WV - A historical museum housed in a former B&O Railroad Station

Once a B&O Railroad Station, the Philippi Depot is now restored as the Barbour County Historical Museum. Full of local history, the museum hosts artifacts from 1635 to present day including antique guns, cannons, a switchboard, mining equipment, manuscripts and various publications. 

The building was constructed in 1911 in the Mission style of architecture, which is rare for West Virginia. The completion of the Philippi B&O Railroad Station was a culmination of company and community efforts to meet the transportation needs of the Tygart River Valley. It opened up the local agriculture, coal and lumber markets to national markets.

Season: May - November

Hours: 11:00AM - 4:00PM, Thursday - Saturday; 1:00PM - 5:00PM, Sunday

Contact them on  their website  for off season visits.

Graceland Inn

Elkins, WV - A regal inn and once the summer home of industrialist and politician, Henry Davis

Poised on the hillside of the Davis & Elkins College campus, Graceland Inn commands a twenty-mile view of the scenic surrounding mountains. Graceland Inn is a beautifully restored Victorian mansion that functions as a premier lodging, retreat, and meeting facility. The conference center provides guest rooms and a large conferencing area. Visitors are welcome to explore, free of charge, or book a room for a luxurious stay in Elkins.

Graceland was the summer home of Henry Gassaway Davis, partial namesake to the college and a Senator for West Virginia from 1871-1883. Davis started as a "energetic" brakeman for the B&O Railroad and rose in the ranks to become a conductor and eventually the station agent and superintendent for the Piedmont, WV section. He then set out to build a fortune speculating land and profiting off of the growth of the coal and timber industry. In 1866 he founded the Potomac and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company in order to better service his timber and coal interests.

As he amassed his wealth as a businessman, he simultaneously climbed the political ladder. In 1865 he was elected as a representative in the West Virginia House of Delegates and five years later he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate. After serving two terms, he founded the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law, Senator Stephen Benton Elkins. The corporation, centered in Tucker County, grew to become one of the largest coal companies in the world. Late in his life, he helped establish Davis and Elkins College. His statue astride a horse stands at the intersection of Randolph Ave and Sycamore Street.

Visit the  Graceland Inn website   for more information.

Elkins Depot Welcome Center

Elkins, WV - An active depot, hosting a scenic railroad and a welcome center displaying the city's industrial past

The railroad depot in Elkins, built in 1908 by the Western Maryland Railway, serves as both the Elkins Welcome Center and a station for the scenic Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The Welcome Center is a repository for all you need to know, see, and do in Randolph County and also hosts an exhibit on the history of the site itself. The original depot, built in 1889 and lost in a fire, was the central junction for a railroad empire built by Henry Davis and Stephen Elkins, who used it to expand the lumber and coal operations they also had interests in.

While the railroads that built the city of Elkins are gone, a new train runs on their tracks, the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad. From Elkins you can take a vintage diesel locomotive to a hidden waterfall in the Monongahela National Forest!

Elkins Welcome Center season: year round

see their  website  for hours and more info.

Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad season: April - November

See their  website  for booking details.

Darden Mill (Appalachian Forest Discovery Center & West Virginia Railroad Museum)

Elkins, WV - A grain mill containing a railroad museum and the AFNHA's discovery center

The Darden Mill operated as a grain mill alongside the railyard from its construction in 1902 until 1943. It once supplied the surrounding community with flour, cereals, and animal feed. The Appalachian Forest Discovery Center now occupies the first floor of the Darden Mill and the second floor houses the West Virginia Railroad Museum.

The West Virginia Railroad Museum tells a local history of the railroad in West Virginia and presents a wide-range of related artifacts. There is a new exhibit every year. The Appalachian Forest Discovery Center tells the story of the forest and its resources, transformations, and inhabitants. The unique culture and heritage of the AFNHA are especially highlighted. The AFDC also displays the history of the Darden Mill.  

AFDC season: May - October

Hours: 9:30AM - 4:30PM, Thursday - Sunday

Find more info on  our website !

WVRRM season: late April - October

Hours: 9:30AM - 4:30PM, Thursday - Sunday

Find more info on their  Facebook page 

Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike & Travellers Repose

Bartow, WV - Former stagecoach stop on the historic Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike

Travellers Repose sits at the foot of Allegheny Mountain on the intersection of WV-28 and the historic Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike. The inn was the first stop west of the formidable Allegheny range for travelers on the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, a route that extends from Virginia to the Ohio River. It became a post office in addition to an inn soon after its construction.

The Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, built from 1838-1850, created a crucial path through western Virginia, facilitating commerce and increased settlements. Control of the turnpike framed many important Civil War battles and Travellers Repose briefly served as a Confederate stronghold. As a convenient midway point on the turnpike it has hosted the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Stonewall Jackson. Traveller’s Repose is now a part of the Camp Bartow Historic District, but is currently privately owned.

Find more information on travelling the  scenic Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike  here.

The  Beverly Heritage Center  in Randolph County hosts a permanent exhibit on the historic Turnpike and is open year-round

Durbin Depot

Durbin, WV - A C&O depot that now operates as a scenic railroad and information center

Once Durbin was a logging town that grew via the development of the railroad. The depot remains from its industrial past as an original Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad depot. It now serves as an information center, gift shop, and station for scenic rides on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad. From Durbin you can take the Castaway Caboose, an overnight trip (ranging from two to four nights) along the Greenbrier River.

Season: May - October

See  their website  for booking information.

Cass Scenic Railroad State Park

Cass, WV - An authentic company town with a scenic railroad, museum, and active historic buildings

When the hard maple, yellow birch, and red spruce covered the rugged mountain territory of Pocahontas County, the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company founded the company town of Cass. Today much of the company town remains, now preserved as a historic state park that provides a unique interactive experience diving into the stories of railroading and logging. While Shay engine locomotives initially pulled pulpwood into Cass to be processed at the company sawmill, now visitors can take antique Shay engines for scenic trips on the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad!

The Company Store, where workers paid company scrip in exchange for basic necessities, presently houses the Cass Historical Theater and Museum, a rare authentic lumber railroad museum. Also inside the Company Store is a locomotive themed restaurant: Shays, an artisans co-op, and a gift shop. The Company Houses built for lumberers and their families are available for visitors to stay in overnight.

From Cass you can take the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad to the historic mountain village of Durbin, past the ghost town of Spruce to the top of Bald Knob, one of the highest points in the state, or to Whittaker Station, an authentic recreated logging camp.

Find out more about Cass Scenic Railroad State Park on  their website 

Cass Company Store season: year round, see website for hours

Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad season: May - October, December - February

See  their website  for booking information.

Woodchopping and Timber Heritage Museum

Webster Springs, WV - A museum dedicated to all things timber

Webster County is engulfed in the Monongahela National Forest with timber and coal resources that attracted the Pardee & Curtin Lumber Company in the early 1900s. The corporation became the main employer for the county. The industry continues to play a major role in the economy of Webster County. In 1960 the people of Webster County organized the first Woodchopping Festival to honor the region's timbering heritage. Over time Webster fostered the growth of the festival and the field of timber sports.

The Woodchopping and Timber Heritage Museum commemorates the past and present of woodchopping. It highlights local varieties of lumber, the history of timber operations, and serves as the visitors center for Webster Springs.

Hours: 8:00AM - 5:00PM, Monday; 8:00AM-4:00PM, Tuesday - Friday

Find more on their  Facebook  page