Port Covington Terminal, Coal Pier No. 4, Baltimore, Independent City, MD

Significance: The Western Maryland Railway Port Covington Coal Pier is one of the last railroad coal unloading piers in Baltimore. During the Pier's operational life (1921-1974), it went from representing the state-of-the-art in east coast coal unloading facilities to complete obsolescence. The Coal Pier's capacity to rapidly unload large quantities of coal into ships, which resulted from a combination of two types of dumpers, made the Western Maryland Railway, and in turn the Port of Baltimore, a major competitor for the transportation of coal from eastern coal fields. The Coal Pier was thus an important part of the history of development of the Port of Baltimore.
Survey number: HAER MD-75