President Street Station and the First Battle of the Civil War

When workers laid the foundation in 1849, no one could imagine the amazing history that would play out in and around Baltimore's President Street Station. From Lincoln's secret passage through the station under pre-dawn stars to the first bloodshed of the Civil War, President Street Station was an eye witness to key events in our nation's history. Today the oldest surviving railroad station in an urban setting, President Street Station stands proudly among new skyscrapers and a redeveloped waterfront. Sited near Baltimore's Inner Harbor, Harbor East, and Little Italy neighborhoods, the station welcomes visitors to learn about Baltimore's 19th century railroads, perilous journeys to freedom along the Underground Railroad, President Lincoln's travels through the city, and how Massachusetts soldiers traveling through in 1861 confronted danger and death just steps away from the station's grand entrance. Join instructor Robert Reyes to discover this unique landmark which is currently being evaluated for designation as an historic site in the National Park System.