FREDERICK COUNTY TOWNS \\
Troubles and Triumphs Brunswick , which celebrated 125th anniversary of its incorporation in 2015 , has had its share of troubles and triumphs over the years . In 1883 , the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad chose the town — which was then called Berlin — as site for its biggest railyard on the East Coast . Coal-powered trains at the time could only travel so far before they needed to stop and refuel .
When the yard opened , the city entered a golden age . With hundreds of new jobs available at the railroad , population exploded from 300 to 3,000 during the course of six years . As hundreds of German railroad workers settled in town , the city was renamed Brunswick to honor their European roots .
The city boomed and prospered as a company town until the 1950s , when more powerful diesel trains made the yard in Brunswick obsolete and the railroad pulled out of town .
Brunswick managed to survive the hit mostly thanks to its MARC train connection to Washington , D . C . It gradually became a town of commuters and its once-bustling downtown district shrank to a handful of businesses fighting for survival .
Even today , when the downtown commercial district seems more stable than ever , challenges still exist . Though hundreds of commuters take the train from Brunswick every day , getting them to stay downtown has been a major struggle , even for the city ’ s successful businesses . Filling empty storefronts and finding tenants for some of the large , boomtown-era downtown buildings is also an ongoing problem .
Yet , some persistent business owners have found their own ways to endure and adapt .
The city ’ s oldest business , Brunswick Hardware and Sporting Goods , has been run by the same family since 1973 and now sells an eclectic selection of goods , including fishing and hunting gear for outdoor enthusiasts .
An eclectic café based inside a 100-year-old restored church downtown , Beans in the Belfry has operated in town for more than a decade and continues to draw visitors from inside and outside the county . The quirky café offers unique atmosphere coupled with live music on Friday and Saturday evenings . The café draws in musicians from the tri-state and Washington D . C . metro areas , holds open mic nights and regular events such as Jazz Brunch and Traditional English Afternoon Tea every Sunday .
Local business owners are also thinking outside the box in their efforts to revive the city ’ s commercial district .
Beth Johnson , who runs A Better Choice Bakery in downtown Brunswick , organized Brunswick ’ s first Kansas City Barbecue Society certified barbecue contest earlier this spring . The Great Brunswick BBQ Throwdown took place March 3-4 , accomplishing the rare feat of bringing 2,000 people — including 50 competitors from New Jersey , Virginia and Rhode Island — into Brunswick ’ s usually sleepy downtown in the middle of winter .
“ They spent time in our restaurants , they shopped in our stores ,” said Johnson , who organized the event as a private resident .
Johnson donated proceeds from the event to the Brunswick Heritage Museum . She said she was thrilled with the turnout . Brunswick typically gets this volume of visitors only during signature celebrations , such as the Railroad Days weekend in September , she said .
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