National Historic Landmark · bridge · Relay, Maryland

Thomas Viaduct, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad

Historic basket handle masonry arch railroad bridge in Maryland, US in Relay, Maryland. Built 1835. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

National Historic LandmarkBuilt 1835Listed 1966
1840 Chevalier Drawing of Thomas Viaduct9 (Elkridge, MD) (5282670413)A (Elkridge, MD) (5283268418)Adams Windsplitter on the B&O, 1900 (14573254629)
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

Wikipedia · Thomas Viaduct

The Thomas Viaduct is a viaduct that spans the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley between Relay, Maryland and Elkridge, Maryland, USA. It was commissioned by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O); built between July 4, 1833, and July 4, 1835; and named for Philip E. Thomas, the company's first president. Some claim it to be the world's oldest multiple arched stone railroad bridge. However, the Sankey Viaduct on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway was opened in 1830 and finally completed in 1833.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

National Register of Historic Places
Property typeStructure
AddressOver the Patapsco River between Relay and Elkridge, Relay, MD
CountyBaltimore County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Reference number66000388
Built1835
Type of placebridge, railway bridge
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark, Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Contributing resources1 structures

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

Access not on record
AddressOver the Patapsco River between Relay and Elkridge, Relay, MD
Coordinates39.22199, -76.71321 · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitStar-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail · 7 mi · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyGreenbelt Campground 19 mi · Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas 19 mi · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 19 mi
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

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Why you would stay

Map

4 nearby listings

Reference

Exists because it is true

Sources

Location, dates, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000388. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.