Perhaps surprisingly, the National Mall in Washington D.C. was once home to a bustling railroad station. Today we explore the story of the Railroad Monument. It is a tale of progress, tragedy, and the evolving vision of America’s capital.
In the 1800s, the National Mall was envisioned as a grand avenue. It would stretch from a presidential monument to the Capitol. Gardens, statuary, and monuments would line this space.
However, the Mall gradually succumbed to commercial development. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad built the first train tracks and rail station on the Mall in the 1830s. The B&O operated daily passenger trains near the Capitol. These trains traveled from Baltimore to Washington in about 2 hours. In 1851, the station moved to New Jersey Avenue.
The Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, established a grand station on the Mall. It opened in 1873 and was located on B Street, later Constitution Avenue, and 6th Street NW. Today, the National Gallery of Art stands there.
The B&P trains ran along tracks that cut through the Mall. The B&P station embraced a Gothic architectural style. But the train shed was considered an eyesore. Public opinion shifted. The railroad was no longer seen as a symbol of progress. People believed that the coal, noisy trains, and black smoke destroyed the Mall’s natural beauty.
Tragedy struck on July 2, 1881. President James Garfield was shot in the B&P station. A deranged Charles Guiteau committed the act. Garfield died nearly three months later after infection set in.
Garfield’s assassination cast a dark shadow over the station. The movement to demolish it gained momentum. Citizens protested the railroad’s presence on the Mall. They claimed the railroad destroyed property values. Freight cars extended into the Mall. Passengers clogged streets. Pollution increased. Accidents occurred where tracks crossed public roads.
In 1901, the Senate Park Commission released a plan for the renovation of the National Mall. The plan included the demolition of the B&P railroad station. Congress authorized construction for a new railroad terminal north of the Capitol.
The B&P station on the Mall was demolished in 1908. The tracks were torn up. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the Mall’s last rail station to be destroyed. The National Gallery of Art was erected in the same space. It opened on March 17, 1941.
The story of the Railroad Monument is a reminder of the ever-changing landscape of Washington D.C. It highlights the ongoing effort to balance progress with the preservation of natural beauty. It underscores the importance of remembering the past as we shape the future.