Spring Grove Hospital and the Catonsville Short Line (CSL) Railroad
As provided in one of our prior posts, the Spring Grove hospital property in Catonsville was purchased by the State in 1852. However, because of funding delays and the Civil War, the hospital did not become operational until 1872. The Catonsville Short Line (CSL) Railroad began operation in November of 1884 and thereafter the two entities became intimately connected.
The Catonsville Short Line (CSL) railroad began operation in 1884 and included both passenger and freight services. Rather than taking a direct route east to Baltimore City, the railroad was intentionally routed south so that it could connect to the Spring Grove hospital. The railroad went down the Mellor Ave corridor, underneath Bloomsbury Ave via a tunnel, and then hit the border of Spring Grove hospital, where it turned eastward toward Baltimore. The railroad had an approx. 100 ft wide Right of Way at the edge of the Spring Grove and the German Orphan Home properties. There was a train station known as the “Bloomsbury Station” on the south side of Bloomsbury Ave on Asylum Lane. There was also a makeshift train stop at the old Wade Ave. entrance (where the stone pillars are today). Workers at Spring Grove and hospital visitors would have used these train stations to come and go to Spring Grove. However, passenger service only lasted until 1898, so this transportation aspect of the railroad was short lived.
The train also brought lumber and building materials to the hospital as it built out the numerous buildings on the campus. In 1932, a new power plant was created at the edge of the Spring Grove property. This plant was powered by coal which heated water for the steam heating system used in the Main building and multiple other buildings. There are numerous tunnels throughout Spring Grove to accommodate the piping system from this steam heating system. The CSL Railroad delivered coal to this power plant (see picture). There was a separate siding for delivering this coal, which took numerous back and forward maneuvers to enter the separate coal siding and deliver the coal. This coal siding embankment still exists today. Of note is the fact that Spring Grove’s original (circa 1853) power house is also still standing. Today, that structure is known as the Laundry Building. It was the original source of heat for the Main Building.
Note also, that in the picture is one of the three gatehouse buildings that were placed at the three entrances to Spring Grove hospital. These gatehouses were used as entrances to the hospital, and were often used by hospital employees, and sometimes patients, as social gathering spaces. At a later point, employees of Spring Grove lived in these gatehouses. For example, after our recent post, we were contacted by the Daley family, whose father was a pharmacist at the hospital and lived with his family in the Asylum Lane gatehouse that is pictured.
In 1972, Spring Grove converted from a coal-based system to an oil system to power the steam heating system. As a result of this conversion, coal deliveries to Spring Grove were no longer required. Since Spring Grove was one of the railroad’s s last major customers, this discontinuation of coal delivery helped sign the death knell to the railroad. The railroad officially ceased operations in 1972.
Subsequently, Spring Grove converted from an oil based energy system to a liquified gas system, which is now stored adjacent to the power plant. The old power plant is, therefore, no longer in use. Note also, that the 2 oil storage tanks next to the Power Plant are now being removed as part of the UMBC takeover of portions of the hospital grounds; in fact, this removal is scheduled for the week of May 1.
Finally, note that the Catonsville Rails to Trails (CRTT) organization (I was a former President and Project Manager) has installed a 2000 ft walking/ biking trail section (one of 9 sections) in the former Spring Grove railroad Right of Way beginning at Asylum Lane and ending at Wade Ave. There is a 480-foot portion of this trail that was built upon the remaining railroad tracks that connect to Wade Ave. This track-to-trail conversion effort was featured in a WBAL televised story, as introduced by noted Baltimore TV host Stan Stovall.
https://www.wbaltv.com/article/volunteers-give-catonsville-short-line-railroad-a-boost/7088186
Catonsville Rails to Trails has also installed along the trail entrance signs and historical wayside exhibit signs documenting the history of the railroad. When you get a chance, walk the trail through Spring Grove and recognize the Catonsville history associated with this corridor.