Back on Track: The $1.1 Million Resurrection of Aberdeen’s B&O Station

The Aberdeen B&O Train Station in Aberdeen, Maryland, was opened in 1886. The station was designed by Victorian-era architect Frank Furness in the Queen Anne style, featuring a slate roof, brick-and-cedar-shake exterior and a distinctive bulb-shaped chimney. 

A Gateway Through History

The station wasn’t just for show. It was a powerhouse of transit and industry:

• Economic Engine: It fueled Aberdeen’s booming canning industry, facilitating the shipping of goods between Baltimore and Philadelphia.
• Military Might: It served as a vital hub for troop and supply movements during both World Wars and the establishment of the Aberdeen Proving Ground.
• The Last of its Kind: It is the final wooden station remaining on the Baltimore-to-Philadelphia line and one of the few surviving Furness designs.

Passenger service from Aberdeen ceased in 1955, but the station remained open as a railway storage and maintenance facility until 1990, when it was shuttered for good. Since then, the building continued to fall into disrepair and was condemned in 2003 by the City of Aberdeen.

From Condemned to Commended

The station and land were donated in 2005 to the Historical Society of Hartford County. A feasibility study revealed that the 2,600 square foot facility was too close to the tracks due to today’s larger freight trains, so in 2015, the station was relocated about 50 feet from its original site. In 2021, the non-profit Friends of the Aberdeen B&O Train Station embarked on a $1.1 million project to restore the station and surrounding area to its former glory.

As part of the exterior restoration, the building’s roof was in desperate need of replacement. Over the years, some of the original slate roof tiles had broken and fallen from the structure, and much of the underlayment needed to be replaced. In addition, a dormer that was not original to the building was removed for historical accuracy.

Restoring the Crown: The Slate Roof

The station’s roof is cantilevered over a large platform area that extends across the ‘front’ or trackside of the station and halfway down one side of the building. The sloped roof includes two peaked dormers as well as the bulb-shaped chimney. Besides installing new underlayment in areas, the project involved installing 3,800 square feet of North County Slate’s 20- x 10- x ¼-inch Unfading Black Slate to match the original design and aesthetics, as well as new copper flashing, including ridge, valley, and rakes, as well as copper gutters and downspouts. The beautiful roofing work was installed by McCreesh Slate Roofing LLC of Baltimore.

The exterior renovation work on the Aberdeen Train Station is complete. In total, the exterior renovations cost $807,000 and included the new slate roof, cedar shakes, and brick base; the windows and doors were rehabilitated, and where they were missing, replacement doors and windows were built. New trim and a rebuilt brick chimney were also included. The project, which is now focused on internal renovation, received a 2025 Harford County Historic Preservation Award.

Built to Last Another Century

The original slate roof on the Aberdeen Train Station lasted over 130 years, and with proper care and minimal maintenance, there’s no reason to think that the new roof won’t last that long again.

North Country Slate was the perfect partner for this project, and will be your perfect partner too because our slate is: 

• 100% Natural: An authentic product that synthetic materials can’t imitate
• Weatherproof: Highly resistant to moisture and chemicals, unaffected by freeze/thaw cycles
• Non-combustible: With a Class A Fire Resistance Rating according to ASTM Standards for an S1-rated product.

 In short, North Country Slate can add beautiful aesthetic appeal and 75 years of life expectancy to any structure, as it did for the Aberdeen B&O Train Station in Maryland. Contact us today to see how we can help you achieve the same goal for your project!