File:West Potomac Street in the early 20th Century.jpg

Summary

This was the view of a then thriving business district on the 100 and 200 blocks of West Potomac Street in the early 20th Century. These were the early days of the West End of "Main Street" after the city migrated up the hill from between the tracks when the B&O expanded its Brunswick yard operations.

In a photo believed to have been taken around 1913, James Roby (1898-1962) poses on the right with an unidentified friend in front of his parent's home at 227 W. Potomac Street.

The garage on the far left is in the lot where the old fire hall, now Smoketown Brewery, is located today. The "Mace Building" where King's Pizza has operated for years is visible on the left.

All of the buildings on the southside of the 2 blocks are long gone.

On the far right was the old Hovermale building where Dr. Hovermale operated his pharmacy in the right storefront. Mills confectionary later took over in the 1930s. The left storefront was owned by the Hemps. Baby Boomers remember Harrington's shoe repair shop there later.

Moving down the 100 block were Hudson Rowhouses and a store that eventually became Wenner's City Meat Market. All those buildings were destroyed by fire.

All that's left on these blocks in 2020 is the Ambulance Company.

(Photo courtesy of John Roby Moreseberger)