1884 B&O Railroad Station Project
In 1988 Oakland hosted a meeting of the Maryland Downtown Development Association, the keynote speaker said to keep a small town vibrant they needed to eliminate empty storefronts and develop a town square to attract visitors to the business area. We formed the Greater Oakland Business Association, cut taxes and started development around the theme “A Great Small Town.” With this in mind, we drew from our Appalachian Maryland roots known as “the gateway to the west.” We developed a Farmer’s Market; started Amish carriage rides; founded a concert series; hosted the county’s Autumn Glory Festival; started a Winterfest and this summer offered our first annual Railfest. To capture our railroad history, dating back to the mid-1800’s, we have purchased the station (pictured) to become a museum. The entire project is being coordinated with the prestigious B&O Museum in Baltimore. Using the station to develop a transportation museum will complete our retail plan and provide 30,000 new visitors annually to the downtown to bolster the 157 members of our business association. The time is right because we have just been designated as Garrett County Mountain Maryland Gateway to the West Heritage area. Please help us realize our dream.
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