Roundhouses and Shops / Railroad Strike of 1877
N 39° 27.499 W 077° 57.644
18S E 245265 N 4371823
Information about early railroads and roundhouses in Martinsburg, WV.
Waymark Code: WME0ZW
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 03/19/2012
Views: 20
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 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 labor's grievances and made workers aware of the power of collective action.
Marker Number: none
Marker Title: Roundhouses and Shops / Railroad Strike of 1877
Marker Location: At the intersection of Martin St E and White Ave.
County or Independent City: Martinsburg, WV
Web Site: [Web Link]
Marker Program Sponsor: West Virginia Department of Culture and History, 1978
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