Three Notch Trail

In 17th-century Maryland up until the late 1990's tobacco was the agricultural mainstay in Southern Maryland. Tobacco barns were a critical part of this farming effort, designed to air-cure tobacco plants inside, with abundant ventilation doors on the outside to help air circulate through "rooms" in the interior.

The 2001 Maryland Tobacco Buyout effectively ended tobacco's reign as the main cash crop in Southern Maryland. This voluntary program provided funds to support growers who chose to give up growing tobacco while remaining in agriculture. Disuse and urban sprawl have put the barns at risk. Today they are quickly vanishing, yet they are receiving conservation attention as an essential part of Maryland's farming history.

(caption)
Detail of the interior of a tobacco barn with tobacco curing inside.

Rail History 1952

By 1952 the Navy operated three diesel locomotives on the 55 miles of track, with an average of 110 cars running weekly between Brandywine and Patuxent River. However, the busy times were short lived and by 1953 the Navy decided to discontinue rail service in favor of roadway, air and water transportation.

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Three Notch Road
Forest Hall
Extending the Rail
"Three Notch Road"
De La Brooke Manor
Three Notch Trail
Village of Mechanicsville
"Deep Falls"
Chaptico
Chaptico

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