7618 Main Street
7618 Main Street is the address of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Station at the entrance of the Town of Sykesville, seen here in a staff photo from 2023.
History
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad reached Sykesville in 1831, however this permanent station was not constructed until 1883 into early 1884. The station was used for passengers until 1949, freight continued for a number of years. A Station Agent still worked within the station until March of 1981.
When the building was originally used, a ticket and telegraph station on the first floor served the public. Separate waiting rooms for Men (East side) and Women (West side) accompanied by a freight room with large doors (West side) divided the main floor. Upstairs, the station master's family lived in a five room apartment.
In the early 1990s, the building was transferred to Town ownership and heavily restored in an initiative aimed at making the Town of Sykesville a site of tourism for railway fans. A restaurant, entitled Baldwin's Station--named after the original architect, E. Francis Baldwin, occupied the space for almost two decades.
From 1991-2006, the weekly Town Farmer's Market was held in front of this building.
The site was renovated again in 2025 to remodel the kitchen space and renovate the river-side of the building to add additional dining space. This addition replaces a 1993 reconstructed overhang.
See the photos below to learn more!
Architectural Details
This structure is typical of the train station designs of E. Francis Baldwin, house architect of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad around the turn of the century. The structure is largely in a Queen Anne style, with pressed-brick and matching red mortar, sandstone sills and lintels, stained glass window panes, and a slate roof with patterned shingles. Notable features include wooden stick and spindle work, and decorative brackets supporting the overhang on the north and south ends of the building.
The original colors of the building were restored in 1990, to red, chocolate, and sage green. (Awaiting from SHDC)
1890
This image, taken from a glass plate negative within the Gate House's collections, shows a snowy Sykesville Station with a passenger train passing.
1917
This photograph of the station seen looking south shows the raised platform surrounding the station on the side of the bridge across the Patapsco River, and an entrance from a dirt or possibly macadam entry area.
1917
This image is taken from the opposite side of the photograph at left in the same year, showing more of the raised platform trackside.
1907
This unusual postcard shows the surroundings of the Town of Sykesville including the Station in the foreground.
1973
The twisted track in front of the station in this image was caused by the remnants of Hurricane Agnes, which caused significant damage along the Patapsco River throughout Maryland as it came through in 1972..
1982
As the bulk of this station fell into disuse, the building itself began to deteriorate. This color image also shows that the original paint was not replaced exactly to match former colorants at this time.
1914
This colorized postcard shows an unusual angle of the Sykesville Station as well as a shelter on the side of the Patapsco River.
1980
This image was taken prior to the restoration of the station in 1980. It shows the ticket window of the station.
1988
This image is part of a series at the Gate House featuring Sykesville Mayor Lloyd Helt, town activist, Thelma Wimmer, and others who worked together to restore the station. In this photo, the missing historical shelter at the front steps is missing.
Site Use
Research is ongoing to confirm the historical use of this property. If you see any errors or have additional information, please contact the Museum through the methods at the bottom of the page
Confirmed Use as of May 10, 2025:
1883-1884: Station is built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, replacing siding shelters on the river side of the track.
1990: CSX sells the station to Southern Sates, under Howard G. Crist, Jr. who donates the station to the Town. The building is heavily restored.
1991-June 2020: Baldwin's Station Restaurant opens under co-owners Charlie and Sarah Cullum as well as Jack and Helen Saum (Carroll County Times, 9 July 1991, p. 4; Baldwin's Station Restaurant Facebook Page)
1998-2006: at some point prior to June of 1998, the restaurant's ownership transferred to Stewart Dearie, and in addition to the restaurant, the parking lot was the site of the original Sykesville Farmer's Market. (Carroll County Times, 3 June 1998, p. 7) The market was moved to South Branch Park as a monthly Apple Butter Market ("Core values: Sykesville Offers 'a-peeling' set of apple events," WestminsterEagle.com, issue: 3 Oct 2007)
2021-2023: Sykesville Station Restaurant, a restaurant featuring Nashville-style hot chicken
c. 2025: Dante Liberatore Family announced the move to this facility in October of 2023, and renovates the structure to accommodate their new restaurant under the model of their Lib's Grill local chain. As of Summer 2025, the restaurant is set to reopen in the fall of 2025 (Baltimore Sun, )