The Brunswick area was once home to the Susquehanna Native Americans. Because of the eel fishing in the Potomac River at that time, the area was named Eel Town or Eel Pot. As European Americans settled there, the town’s name changed from Berlin to Barry and finally to Brunswick when it was incorporated in 1890, since many of the railroad workers residing there were from Brunswick, Germany.

Brunswick began as a trading post on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. The post grew into a bustling canal town with a population of 300 residents by the late 1880s. But when the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad purchased much of the land along the canal and built their freight yards and maintenance shops in Brunswick, the town grew to nearly 2,500 people. The railroad has defined Brunswick ever since. Brunswick has followed the ups and downs of railroad transportation from a busy hub during World War II to a commuter community today. Brunswick is a major stop on the MARC Train line, and many of town residents commute to Washington D.C. by train.

Brunswick has a quaint downtown area with restaurants, specialty shops, a museum, a C&O Canal Visitor Center, and three murals. Brunswick hosts many regular town events, including a Springfest in May and Railroad Days in October.

Visit Brunswick’s website.

Download brochure: C&O Canal Trail to History: Point of Rocks, Brunswick, Harpers Ferry