Brunswick: Formerly Berlin

Address: 
Railroad Square (beside Brunswick Train Station), Brunswick, MD 21716

Brunswick: Formerly Berlin

History: During the Confederate retreat in July of 1863, Union troops crossed the Potomac here in their pursuit. Called Berlin at the time of the Civil War, this town truly experienced the challenges of life on the border. Both the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad here were military targets. Throughout the war, Brunswick's Railroad Station was an important location for military communication, due to its capacity for shipments of cargo and soldiers.

More to Explore: Brunswick's prime location offers something for everybody in the way of things to do. The quaint main street features antiques shops, galleries, and restaurants, and the local train station creates flexibility if visitors choose to venture out of town. The town boasts a local visitor center for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, and the Brunswick Railroad Museum, which features one of the largest HO scale model railroads on the East Coast. A local campground and outfitter, located near the river and C&O Canal Towpath Trail, will set you up for your outdoor adventure needs! Rent a bike and try the bike journey to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, located a mere 7 miles away via the Towpath Trail.

Photo Credits:

  1. "Union General George Gordon Meade's army crossing the Potomac at Berlin (now Brunswick) 18 days after Gettysburg, in pursuit of Lee into Virginia" Courtesy of the Brunswick Heritage Museum.
  2. "Viewed from Virginia, this pontoon bridge was constructed in 1862 as one of several crossing points as the army of the Potomac pursued the Army of Northern Virginia after the Battle of Antietam. The Piers from Berlin's covered bridge burned in 1861 are seen nearby."
  3. "The Union army relied on sources such as these Pinkerton detectives, photographed at Berlin in 1862, as well as the railroad agents and crews to gather intelligence along the border during the Civil War." Photos courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.