The 'Pen Mar Experience' was fun for all through the early 20th century
- Pen Mar Park, a popular amusement park just over the Md. line near Waynesboro, first opened in 1877.
- The park was served by the Western Maryland Railroad and a horse-drawn trolley car.
- The Chambersburg, Greencastle, and Waynesboro Electric Street Railway began service to the park in 1903 for a round-trip fee of 20 cents.
Many years have passed since the last of the magnificent Western Maryland Railroad steam engines with their eloquent passenger cars full of anxious people were traveling from their respective towns and cities to the famous Pen Mar Park.
It all began in the year of 1872 when the many workers had finished building the Western Maryland Railroad through the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and had concluded at Hagerstown, Md. Nine years later, the line was built to Chambersburg in 1881.
A new business opportunity for the Western Maryland R.R. began during the year of 1874 as a gentleman by the name of Col. John M. Hood was elected as the president of the line. This young man had a lot of great ideas, and he was determined to put them into motion.
Hood and one of his friends approached Henry Baer in June 1875 for the purpose of buying a tract of land measuring 13 acres. It was his grand idea to build an amusement park so that thousands and thousands of people would come from near and far to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience.
Hood, the businessman that he was, knew very well that his new park would expand the railroad's business and definitely maximize the revenue with an increase of profit. The beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains made the Pen Mar Park area the perfect setting for the many hotels and boarding houses that were built to accommodate all the anxious travelers making their journey to the mountain.
Anybody and everybody had the opportunity to experience the special and quality times that awaited them. You see, this was living and no matter how old you were you would never forget the memorable experience.
Pen Mar Park had it all, the many amusement rides, picnic areas, music, dancing, miniature train rides, concession stands, playgrounds, beautiful scenery and of course climbing the steps of one of the observatory towers to enjoy a breathtaking view of the valley.
Other than the passenger trains operated by the Western Maryland Railroad, in time there would be another means of transportation that would be coming to the mountain: the electric street railway. For the moment, one of the hotels that offered a very special service was the Buena Vista Spring Hotel. This hotel was built in 1890 and could accommodate up to 500 guests at one time.
The special service offered by the hotel was a two-hitch horse drawn trolley car that ran from the hotel to the Buena Vista Spring Railroad Station on the line of the Western Maryland Railroad. This small horse-drawn trolley car made five trips per day from the hotel to the train station, which was approximately 3 miles away and was always known to be on time for the passengers.
The sides of the little trolley car had “Buena Vista Springs Hotel” painted on it. There was also a horse-drawn cart for the baggage of the guests that followed the trolley car on every trip. The horses upon their arrival at the train station and the hotel were unhitched and taken to the opposite end of the car and attached for their next trip.
Two of the operators of this trolley car were William Hovis and Benjamin Benchoff.
This unique transportation was only operational from the spring to the fall and then it was placed out of service during the winter months. This horse-drawn trolley car ceased operations in 1912. This was the first of the trolley cars on the mountain.
Electric Street Railway eased access for Franklin County visitors
The residents of Franklin County who wanted an easy and enjoyable trip to the famous Pen Mar Park would soon see the creation of an electric street railway. The Chambersburg, Greencastle, and Waynesboro Electric Street Railway was chartered on June 17, 1901, and within several years it was operating a distance of 30 miles that ran from Chambersburg to Pen Mar Park.
The first trolley car of the C.G. & W. Electric Street Railway to reach Pen Mar Park from Waynesboro was on Nov. 24, 1903, and the round-trip fare would've cost you 20 cents. Thousands of passengers for nearly 30 years rode the multiple trolley cars that went to the mountain, where everyone had a memorable experience.
A very unfortunate accident happened on the line on May 22, 1920, when a three-car work detail was traveling down the grade from Pen Mar. One of the work car's brakes failed to work, causing a runaway situation. These cars crashed into a trolley car that preceded them to Waynesboro.
The 28 passengers on the trolley car that was hit were all obviously shook up, bruised, and some had minor cuts. The three work cars were destroyed from the impact and two of the cars had jumped the track, resulting in serious injuries to some of the employees. Unfortunately, General Manager Robert D. Sefton, who was aboard the work train, had both of his legs crushed and he lost a lot of blood. He was taken to the hospital for immediate treatment but passed away early the next morning.
Comrey's Band was a Pen Mar Park staple
When you went to Pen Mar Park you could always expect the finest in entertainment from the musicians who played the most popular tunes of the day. The dancing pavilion was always full of people who were having the time of their life.
One of the performers that always drew thousands of listeners for each show was Andrew Comrey. He was born on April 11, 1865, near Roxbury, and when he was old enough, he worked at several farms in the area.
You see, “Andy” as a young lad had a deep interest in music and he learned to play many instruments. Many people noticed his music skills and different bands asked him to play in their groups in Chambersburg and other Pennsylvania towns.
Comrey was determined to master practically every musical instrument, which required a lot of time. When he moved to Martinsburg, West Virginia, he joined a band that had 12 members. The band underwent a couple reorganizations, the last one being in January 1896 when it became known as “Comrey's Band”.
Comrey's Band was so popular that they were asked to play at Pen Mar Park circa 1900. Whenever Comrey and his band were performing at Pen Mar Park he always wore on his coat a silk ribbon in different colors that had "Comrey's Band Picnic, Pen Mar" along with the date on them. Huge crowds came from near and far to see his magnificent band and to hear his magical music for many years.
A sudden demolition at Pen Mar Park
Unfortunately, we all know that all good things must come to an end. Times changed over the years and other people were elected and or appointed in governing business operations and sought to reach the highest potential for a positive return.
That being said, Western Maryland Railroad President Maxwell Byers announced on Aug. 1, 1929, that Pen Mar Park was no longer a profitable venture and the board of directors was subleasing the property.
It was between 1929 and 1941 that the park had three different groups of individuals who were trying to make a profit and, as they say, to keep the ship afloat. The sad day came on March 1, 1943, during the early morning hours when an army of workers and their bulldozers made an unannounced visit to the one and only Pen Mar Park and totally destroyed all of the buildings, leaving only a pile of debris.
Even though the once famous Pen Mar Park was gone you always had the memories of a special time that you had; I call it “The Pen Mar Experience."
M.L. “Mike “ Marotte III is an Author, Historian, and Journalist who writes about the rich History of Franklin County. Read more of him at www.vintagefranklincountypa.com.