Marion Station, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marion Station, Maryland
Marion
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View looking west on Crisfield-Marion Road
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 Marion Station, Maryland
Location in Maryland
Marion Station, Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maryland |
| County |  Somerset |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21838
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| Area code(s) | 410 & 443 |
| GNIS feature ID | 590741 |
Marion Station, also called Marion, is a small place in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. It's an unincorporated community, which means it's a town that doesn't have its own local government. Instead, it's governed by the county.
Marion Station is found where two main roads, Maryland Route 413 and Maryland Route 667, meet. A long time ago, in 1866, trains started coming to Marion. This made the town famous as the "strawberry capital of the world." But when the trains stopped, the town became much quieter.
Contents
History of Marion Station
Marion Station was first known as Coulbourne Creek. Its name changed to Marion when the Pennsylvania Railroad built a train line to Crisfield. A man named John C. Horsey paid for the train tracks and the station building. The town was then named Marion after his daughter.
The Strawberry Boom
Thanks to the railroad, Marion Station became very busy and successful. It grew into the world's top producer of strawberries. Farmers used the trains to send fresh strawberries all over the country. Large trains with special ice-cooled cars would pick up strawberries every day. They took them to big cities to be sold.
During this time, Marion Station had many businesses. There was a movie theater, a grocery store, a blacksmith shop, and a pharmacy. The town also had a primary school, several churches, a garage, and a bar. It even had the first hospital in Somerset County. The town grew so much that it needed its own police force.
Decline and Changes
In the 1950s, Marion Station started to decline. The trains stopped coming to pick up strawberries. The railroad line was officially closed in 1976. The train tracks were later removed. A new highway, Maryland Route 413, was built, which also changed how people traveled.
Many old buildings in Marion Station were torn down or became empty. However, the old train station building still stands. In 1997, people started a project to fix it up. In the early 2000s, it reopened as the Accohannock Indian Museum. This museum shows items from when Marion Station was a busy town.
The fire department moved to a new building across MD 667. The old fire station is now a flea market. The former pharmacy building has been boarded up for many years. Even the two gas stations in town have closed down.
New Beginnings
When the trains stopped, Marion's strawberry industry collapsed. Now, the fields are used to grow other crops like soybeans and corn. Some fields are empty. Marion Station is also home to a large organic vegetable farm. This farm was started by people from New Jersey.
In the 2000s, new houses began to be built in Marion Station. This has made the community a place where people come to retire.
Several historic places in Marion Station are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Lankford House, Pomfret Plantation, Quindocqua United Methodist Church, Watkins Point Farm, and Williams' Conquest.
Education in Marion Station
The Marion Sarah Peyton Elementary School building is located on MD 667. It used to teach students in grades 3 to 5 from the southern part of Somerset County. In 2004, schools were combined, and those grades moved to Crisfield. The school building then closed.
In 2007, the building reopened for adult GED classes. Today, Living Hope Christian School is the only school in Marion Station. It opened in 2020 and is located at the corner of Hollands Crossing and Crisfield Marion Road.
Getting Around Marion Station
Main Roads
Maryland Route 667 is the most important road in Marion Station. Many key places, like the volunteer fire department, the train station, the school, and the post office, are along this road. MD 667 crosses Tulls Corner Road and Charles Cannon Road. North of this intersection, it's called Hudson Corner Road. South of it, it's called Crisfield–Marion Road. A long time ago, Crisfield–Marion Road was known as Main Street.
MD 667 also connects Marion Station to Pocomoke City and U.S. Route 13 if you're heading south to Virginia. The speed limit on this road in town is 30 miles per hour.
Tulls Corner Road goes east out of town towards a very quiet place called Tulls Corner. Charles Cannon Road continues from Tulls Corner Road after it crosses MD 413 and MD 667. It leads north to Kingston and gives access to a boat dock. These roads mostly serve homes in the community.
Another important road is Maryland Route 413. This is the main highway between Crisfield and places north on US 13. It runs very close to MD 667 through Marion Station. The speed limit on MD 413 is 55 miles per hour.
Waterways
The Big Annemessex River flows near Marion Station. A smaller part of this river, called Coulbourne's Creek, is also nearby. You can reach where these two waterways meet by taking Coulbourne Creek Road, which is off Charles Cannon Road. There's a public boat dock there. Before the trains and strawberry farming became popular, much of Marion's activity was centered around this water area.
Public Transportation
Shore Transit offers bus services in Marion Station. There are two routes, Route 706 North and Route 706 South. You can catch the bus at two stops: the Marion Volunteer Fire Department and the old Marion Sarah Peyton Elementary School. Both stops are along the MD 667 road in the main part of town.
