BALTIMORE, Nov. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The B&O Railroad Museum, the birthplace of American railroading, is pleased to announce that Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of the CSX Corporation (NASDAQ: CSX) will chair the Museum’s $30 million dollar capital campaign to transform the Museum’s campus in preparation for the 200th Anniversary of American Railroading in 2027.
The B&O Railroad Museum is a historic site located in Baltimore, Maryland, on the original grounds of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the first commercially chartered railroad in the country in 1827. The Museum’s campus extends 40 acres into Southwest/West Baltimore and contains the first mile of commercial track ever laid in the country, 8 historic buildings including the 1851 Mt. Clare Station recently designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Site, and the beautiful 1884 Roundhouse. As a national historic landmark, the Museum annually receives visitors from all 50 United States and over 40 countries.
The Museum plans to restore the South Car Works building located on its property, the oldest, continuously operating railroad repair facility in the United States if not the world, 1869 – 1990. In restoring this nationally significant 33,000 square feet building and making it the new entrance to the Museum, the Museum will reimagine its campus flow to face Southwest Baltimore to spark community economic development. The restored building will create space for an Innovation Hall to exhibit the present and future of American railroading technology, add state-of-the-art educational space, and house the Museum’s extensive historical archives.
To kick off the campaign, the CSX Corporation has donated a gift of $5 million to the Campaign to build the “CSX Bicentennial Garden,” an amphitheater and multi-use space that can host local organizations and hold community gatherings. This installation will serve as a vibrant event space and provide a fresh, new location to welcome visitors to the museum. CSX is the first corporate patron to pledge support for the campaign.
Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of CSX said: “CSX is the proud successor to America’s first commercial railroad — the Baltimore & Ohio. As proud as we are of our heritage, we are equally excited about the future. Both the future of our modern transportation company, and the future of the dynamic and visionary B&O Railroad Museum. Which is why I am honored to chair the B&O Museum’s 200th Anniversary Campus Transformation Campaign, as we prepare to celebrate the bicentennial of American railroading in 2027. This campaign is an excellent way to celebrate our nation’s railroad history by contributing to a one-of-a-kind learning experience for generations to come.”
Click Here To Access Joe Hinrichs' Video Announcement
“We could not be more honored to have Joe Hinrichs, President and CEO of CSX, serve as our 200th Anniversary Campus Transformation Campaign Chair,” said Kris Hoellen, Executive Director of the B&O Railroad Museum. “Joe is a visionary who understands the importance of preserving our past, while supporting the economic health of today’s communities, and preparing our children for the future of American railroading technology – this project does it all, join us.”
The B&O Railroad Museum is the birthplace of American railroading and is home to the oldest, most comprehensive collection of railroad artifacts in the Western Hemisphere, including an unparalleled assemblage of 19th and 20th-century railroad rolling stock and equipment. As the B&O Railroad was our nation’s first public-private partnership infrastructure project, the Museum’s continued ability to tell the story of American through the lens of the railroad depends upon public-private partnerships. With the inaugural contribution, CSX is encouraging fellow corporate partners to support the museum’s campaign.
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural and consumer products. For nearly 200 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike.
Contact:
Tom Yorke, Chief Marketing Officer, the B&O Railroad Museum
tyorke@borail.org
A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7f45d906-4427-4fa7-b27b-5d2dced49c4a
