KHS 150th Anniversary Celebration of The Met

On May 25, 1873, the Metropolitan Branch (“The Met”) of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad arrived in what was then called “Knowles Station,” setting in motion Kensington’s evolution from a small farming community of fewer than 100 residents to the thriving garden suburb it is today.

Kensington’s station, designed by renowned Baltimore architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin, was completed in 1891. It is the second oldest active station in the county and one of only a handful of surviving stations of the hundreds that Baldwin created for the B&O. Shortly after the station was built, the railroad changed the name to Kensington station.

The trains carried not only passengers, but freight so that agricultural enterprises could quickly and easily ship products to the city and goods of all kinds could be brought into the county faster and at less cost. Land values saw immediate increases as investors raced to develop suburban communities for Washington, D.C.’s employees.

The Met line is now called the MARC Brunswick Line, carrying travelers over CSX freight tracks on this same route.

Please join us as we celebrate our shared history!

Calendar of Events

Sunday, April 23, 11 am–4 pm

Day of the Book Festival

KHS will be on hand with a Metropolitan Line History Exhibit, a Met Line history book for sale, Met Line history products and KHS merch.

Tuesday, May 23, 7:30 p.m.

Speaker Event

Susan Cooke Soderberg of the Germantown Historical Society presents a special Kensington-focused talk “From Corn to Commuters: a History of the Met” at Kensington’s Town Hall and virtually via Zoom. No pre-registration required: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84587088280?pwd=Y2xEQ2JFZ1hZcUJqVTJOdTRpM0Rpdz09

Sunday, May 28, Noon­–5 p.m.

Toasting the Met

@BabyCat Brewery

10241 Kensington Parkway

A party for all ages! There will be live music by local DC artist Josh Cantwell (known for his guitar work and unique voice), who plays a mix of classic rock, folk, and bluegrass, as well as food trucks, a trivia quiz, children’s activities, a caboose photo op, and a Kensington history display. BabyCat is brewing a special beer just for the day and will give one free beer to new members who join KHS in May or at the event!

Other activities for the afternoon include a Scavenger Hunt by Kensington retailers, the Train StoryWalk® at the adjacent Clum-Kennedy Park, a mural and a statue walk around town, a plein air Paint-Out by MAA artists, and a talk and art show at Adah Rose Gallery.

Parking options are shown at https://www.babycatbrewery.com/faqs

Scavenger Hunt

Visit local Kensington businesses for an opportunity to receive a goody bag and a chance at a special prize. Participating businesses will have a “train” sign in their windows to indicate they are a “passport station.”

Stop at the Scavenger Hunt table @BabyCat to receive a passport and a list of stores to find. Once you get to a store, they will stamp the passport. Once the passport is filled, return to the table to receive a goody bag!! There will also be a prize for the first person who returns their completed passport!

Participating Businesses:

Monday, May 29, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Excursion Train Ride & Kensington Train Station Party

3701 Howard Avenue

Celebration at Kensington’s historic station, starting at 10.30 am with live music from the Capital Accord Chorus, #strikeapose with a train cut-out designed by Kensington artist Jason Swain, a Metropolitan Line History display, a tasty cookie giveaway by Potomac Sweets, and all overseen by our honorary Station Master.

Then, hop on board the train to travel along the Metropolitan Branch! A special 150th anniversary train excursion will take riders past historic stations and railroad communities. Ticketed passengers may board at Kensington, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Rockville for travel to Brunswick, MD, and then return after a two-hour lunch. Tickets are available for purchase here Tickets for Excursion Train at Eventbrite. The train schedule, ticket prices, and other details may be viewed at https://www.montgomerypreservation.org/information-for-the-may-29-150th-anniversary-train-excursion/.

BabyCat Brewery will be open with the O’Boy Food Truck on site for returning passengers. Visit the  Train StoryWalk® at the nearby Clum-Kennedy Park, take our mural or a statue walk around town, and check out our plein air Paint-Out by MAA artists around town.

Capital Accord Chorus, 10.30 am

Singing Barbershop Harmony Throughout the Nation’s Capital!

Performing at the Kensington Train Station Party, Capital Accord Chorus, will get you into the mood for train travel through song:

  • Tuxedo Junction
  • Route 66
  • San Francisco Bay Blues & More!

The Capital Accord Chorus is an award winning treble chorus performing four-part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style in the DC Metro area. Based in Silver Spring, MD, they are a Region 19 chapter of the worldwide barbershop organization Sweet Adelines  International. Their fun and engaging repertoire ranges from jazz and pop to standards and show tunes. The chorus welcomes people who sing within the treble range to join in the joy of singing and sharing music. Please visit their website homepage for more information, https://www.capitalaccord.org/ , or you may contact them by emailing, info@capitalaccord.org or calling (301)392-SONG (7664)

Sunday, May 28, and Monday, May 29

K-Town Art: Paint-Out and Gallery Exhibits

Artists from the Montgomery Art Association will have a Paint Out on Sunday, May 28 and Monday, May 29, to capture the scenes, people, and activities of a celebratory weekend in Kensington. Artists will be around town, in our parks and on the street, painting plein air. Come and check out their works in progress!

Members and guests of MAA may register to participate at the MAA website: https://www.montgomeryart.org/ 

The Paint Out artwork will be displayed for public viewing at a special gallery show at The Chesapeake Framing Company, 10507 Metropolitan Ave, Kensington, MD, from June 22 to July 20. Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Sundays. Come and check out their completed works!

For further details, click here: MAA Paint Out

Adah Rose Gallery at 3766 Howard Ave. is hosting a group show, Carte Blanche, Saturday, May 27, and on Sunday. May 28, from noon to 5 pm, there will be a talk on purchasing art, with coffee and bagels!

May 14 – June 15

Train StoryWalk®

The Noyes Children’s Library Foundation will help Kensington celebrate the 150th birthday of the Metropolitan Train Line with a special train-themed StoryWalk® featuring Steam Train Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker in Clum-Kennedy Park, directly across the street from BabyCat Brewery and the Johnson’s Garden Center plaza.

Check out these videos from Montgomery Municipal Cable on the 150th Anniversary events that have been held this year and a promo for the Excursion Train:

Excursion Promo:

Kenny Sholes’ presentation on The Met and the changes it brought to the western parts of the county:

150th B&O Railroad Celebration with the U.S. Postal Service:

All aboard for Francis’ tour of the historic Silver Spring B&O railroad station: