Roundhouses and Shops / Railroad Strike of 1877
Roundhouses and Shops. The B&O Railroad reached Martinsburg in 1842,
and by 1849, a roundhouse and shops were
built. These first buildings were burned by
Confederate troops in 1862. The present west
roundhouse and the two shops were built in
1866. The east roundhouse was built in 1872.
These buildings represent one of the last
remaining examples of American industrial
railroad architecture still intact and in
use. These structures serve as important
reminders of the status of the railroad in
the mid-19th century and the role it played
in the economic development of Martinsburg,
the county, and the state.
Railroad Strike of 1877. On July 16. 1877, workers of the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad went on strike and closed
this railroad yard to protest a cut in wages.
Their action sparked the largest nationwide
strike the country had seen. Extensive damage
was done to company property at Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Wheeling, and over 50 workers were killed before the strike was crushed. Federal troops were used for the first time in a labor dispute. As the country’s first general strike, it focused national attention on labors grievances and made workers aware
of the power of collective action.
Marker is on East Martin Street near White Avenue.
Courtesy hmdb.org
