You are currently standing outside of what was formerly the Mount Royal Train Station, one of 20th-century Baltimore’s premier railroad stations. At the time of its grand opening in September of 1896, the Mount Royal was the first railroad station in the world constructed to accommodate electrified passenger trains, which offered a cleaner and more practical alternative to steam-powered locomotion.
Designed by famed local architect, E. Francis Baldwin, the station features an arresting blend of Romanesque and Renaissance architecture, an impressive 150-foot clock tower, and one of the last gable-roof train sheds built in America. Nearly 500 feet long, the shed was designed to protect passengers from the elements and is one of the country’s last remaining examples of this particular method of construction.
After World War II, cars became America’s preferred mode of transportation. As a result, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad consolidated all Baltimore passenger train service at Camden Station, and Mount Royal Station closed permanently in 1961. Four years later, the vacant building was sold to MICA, and today, the former station houses MICA’s Middendorf Gallery and Rinehart School of Sculpture, as well as studio and classroom space for the sculpture and fiber departments.
Since MICA’s acquisition of the property in 1960s, the building has undergone several multi-million dollar restorations to preserve as much of the structure’s original appearance as possible. Because of these efforts, Mount Royal Station remains one of Baltimore’s most distinguished historic structures.
