Published August 2003 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd B&O Roundhouse Makes History Again
On July 31, an important piece of West Virginia's history was recognized for its contributions to the nation when the B&O Roundhouse in Martinsburg was designated as a National Historic Landmark. Nestled in the hills of the Eastern Panhandle, the Roundhouse joins some of the nation's most renowned sites previously designated as Historic Landmarks, including Mount Vernon, Pearl Harbor, and Alcatraz. The designation stems in large part from the community's efforts to restore the Roundhouse to its original state. I have assisted by adding $2 million to federal appropriations legislation for the project and supporting local efforts to secure an additional $800,000 in federal funds. Originally built in 1848, the Roundhouse was a technological wonder that pulled Martinsburg into the Industrial Age. Characterized by historians as a "machine in the garden," the Roundhouse allowed several steam engines to be repaired simultaneously without disrupting regular train flow. Trains would move from the main track onto a roundtable, similar to a Lazy Susan, allowing workers to spin the train to an empty bay for repairs. To pass the time, travelers browsed local shops for the latest fashions and sometimes spent the night at the Depot House hotel overlooking the rails below. When the Civil War started, the Roundhouse became a military target. As a vital transportation and communication route for the Union, General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson led Confederate troops on a march to destroy much of the B&O railroad during the summer of 1861, including the Martinsburg station. General Jackson's troops burned the Martinsburg machine shops, Colonnade Bridge, and Roundhouse. Between June 1861 and September 1864, the railroad was destroyed and repaired nine times. After the war's end, the railroad rebuilt and expanded the Martinsburg Roundhouse complex. Workers used the original molds during the recasting, making the structure architecturally rare. The Roundhouse played a major role in labor history as well. In 1877, after the B&O Company imposed a 10-percent wage cut on employees, rail workers in Martinsburg launched the great Pullman strike -- the country's first national labor strike. Providing more than a century of rail service, the Roundhouse finally closed operations in 1988; but its legacy continues to this day. Eastern Panhandle residents and organizations have worked tirelessly to protect this piece of Americana. I applaud the efforts of those who have worked to restore the Roundhouse, and I encourage all West Virginians to take the time to learn about this important piece of history tucked away in our rolling hills. August 27, 2003