Mt Royal Station – Baltimore City, Maryland

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Between Camden Station (South) & Bay View Station (North)
Opened 1896 Closed as a train station in 1959
A Baltimore & Ohio passenger station that is now used by the MICA College.

In 1896, upon the opening of Mount Royal Station, local papers were calling the depot the ” Finest Railroad Station in Baltimore”

One year later , in 1897, it was described as ” the finest and handsomest Railroad Station in America”

In 1898, Ex-President Grover Cleveland passed through Baltimore, getting off a train at nearby Union Station, having lunch and boarding a train at Mount Royal Station to complete his journey.
That same year, a porter at Mount Royal Station was charged with theft after recovering a purse on the train at the station, but not turning it in at the station, as required.

A look at the B&O Schedule in 1899 shows trains leaving Camden Station at 8:15 AM.
The next stop was Mount Royal Station which was at 8:20 Am, and then off to Gay Street Station at 8:30 AM.
1899 also saw the death of a railroad worked in the tunnel leading to Mount Royal Station.

In 1900, evidence found in the restroom of Mount Royal Station was found to be linked to the “Hubbard Case” Robbery.

1901 , Mount Royal Station made the news again as a woman from Iowa, who apparently met her husband to be through a newspaper classified ad, came to meet her new husband to be. She was meant to meet him at Mount Royal Station, and it seems he was at the station waiting, but she took the train to nearby Camden station, and when she realized her mistake took a carriage to Mount Royal Station, only to find he had left. She went to the Northwestern Police Station, hoping that her story would make the news and her husband to be to see what happened. I have no idea how this story turned out.
Also in 1901, three employees of the railroad were struck by a train in the Mount Royal Tunnel, next to the Station. One was killed, a second was expected to to die of his injuries and the third hurt.
In 1902, a prisoner being transported to Philadelphia boarded the train with a United States Deputy Marshal at Mount Royal Station. The subject requested a bathroom break, and as the Deputy Marshal guarded the door, the prisoner broke out the window of the train car and made his escape in Orangeville, in East Baltimore City.

1903 – There was a horse accident at Mount Royal Station that made the news.
In 1906, there was much talk in Baltimore of a new Union Station, which would be a few blocks North of Mount Royal Station. It would have replaced several of the train stations in the area, including the Mount Royal Station. The plan included converting the station into a market.

1908, arrangements were being made for the arrival of Cardinal Gibbons at Mount Royal Station .

1913 – a sick man on the train platform made the paper.

1915 – an engineer of a train going through the Mount Royal Tunnel was overcome by the gases in the tunnel while fixing his train engine. He apparently was going to be alright after that event. That same year, a disabled passenger train, again in the Mount Royal Tunnel, was stuck in the tunnel long enough for passengers on the train to feel the effects of the gases that were in the air down there.

1920 – Several “gem thieves ” used Mount Royal Station for an escape as they left their get away Cadillac at the Mount Royal Station. The escape led to Havre de Grace ( Maryland ) and I’m not sure if the theft was in Baltimore or not.
1925 – officials at Mount Royal Station found a trunk leaking a fluid. Investigation found that the trunk was full of ” Pre-War Whiskey”, which Prohibition Agents dumped into the nearby Jones Falls.
1935, – A nine year old sled rider enjoying the hills around the station slid off into traffic and was struck by a car. The child was injured but ok.
1943 – Up until this year, Mount Royal Station was well known for having rocking chairs in the waiting areas. They were placed in the mid 1940’s.

Baltimore Sun photo of Rocking chairs at Mount Royal Station
1945 – Day light savings time was a bit crazy at the station as the clocks around Mount Royal Depot had to be changed manually for the lost hour, which included the four large clocks in the tower of the station.
1955 – a few years before the station closed to railroad traffic, an article was written of a group of Peabody Music students loading the train enroute to Lyndon Vermont for a music camp.
That same year, someone wrote the newspaper requesting that property around the station be converted into parking for the nearby Lyric Theatre. That plan was not acted on.

In 1958, Mount Royal Station Station was mentioned in a report of the lack of passengers at area train stations and the discontinuance of use of those stations.
Mt Royal Station appears to have been closed to rail traffic around 1961.

In Later years, the station had a knickname of ” The Graveyard” , with there being very little activity between trains at the station.