Brunswick offers commuter convenience and a growing atmosphere
In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Brunswick boomed as a Baltimore and Ohio Railroad depot in the late 1800s. Though that line no longer exists, the Frederick County community is still defined by trains. Locals can reach Washington, D.C., by hopping on the Maryland Area Rail Commuter Brunswick Line at the town’s original Gothic Revival-style station. But it’s not commuter convenience that brought Esther Caulton, the owner-broker of Potomac View Realty, and her family to the area. “We moved here in 2013 because we noticed tons of growth happening,” she says. The town’s population has nearly doubled over the last decade, with around 8,300 residents today. Much of this growth is accredited to Brunswick Forward, a downtown revitalization effort, and new developments, like the Brunswick Crossing neighborhood. Aside from a burgeoning atmosphere, locals can enjoy community events, like Brunswick Railroad Days, and hiking trails along the Potomac River, which spans the community’s southern edge. Caulton adds that this small-town charm and natural setting are also why she put down roots here. “I’ve lived in cities like Paris and New York, but Brunswick is the quirkiest and prettiest place I’ve lived, and we will probably never move again because of that.”
Century-old homes and a subdivision being built
Queen Anne-style homes, American Foursquares and Colonial Revivals sit along downtown Brunswick’s steep, sidewalk-lined streets. These houses date back to the early 1900s, and Caulton says many need renovations. “They need a fresh coat of paint, and some still have dated appliances and radiators. But investors have done a nice job restoring the charm and not making them look modern.” The town also has a few subdivisions, including Brunswick Crossing, a master-planned community with townhouses, Craftsman-style bungalows and New Traditional homes. Development started in 2009, and houses are still being built. “There’s supposed to be over 1,500 houses by the spring of 2026,” Caulton says. Street parking is common downtown, while most newer builds have garages. Houses here typically have three to five bedrooms. Older homes and townhouses can cost between $200,000 and $400,000, which is less than the national median. Newer homes cost more than the national median, typically selling in the $600,000 to $750,000 range.
Specific crime rates for Brunswick are not readily available. However, according to the Maryland Department of State Police, Frederick County’s violent and property crime rates slightly decreased between 2023 and 2024. Both rates are consistently lower than state figures.
D.C. commuters ride the Brunswick Line
The Brunswick Line runs between Martinsburg, West Virginia and Union Station in D.C. It typically takes the train an hour to get to Martinsburg and an hour and a half to reach D.C. The station’s parking lot is free and has 100 spaces, which Caulton says fill up quickly. “I know D.C. commuters that get there before the first train leaves at 5 a.m. just to get a spot.” Trains occasionally stop car traffic at intersecting roads, and locals often hear train noise, though Caulton says it's rarely an issue. “It only annoyed me the first week I lived here, and then I got used to it.” State Route 17 connects with Virginia state Route 267, making D.C. a 58-mile drive southeast. Depending on traffic, the drive can take one to two hours. Dulles International Airport is 33 miles in the same direction. Brunswick has a very hilly terrain, tucked within the Potomac River valley’s upper reaches and the Appalachian Mountain foothills. Caulton warns that driving can sometimes be difficult. “You need four-wheel drive to live here. We don’t get much snow, but when we do, I’ll see cars sliding down the hills.”
The Brunswick High Railroaders play football
Kids can attend Brunswick Elementary, which is graded a B-plus by Niche. They may continue to Brunswick Middle and Brunswick High, both earning Bs. The high school, home of the Railroaders, is known for its annual football game against Linganore High. “Every student and every parent shows up to that game no matter which school it’s at. This town has football spirit even when the team isn’t very good.” A gold and burgundy train caboose from the 19th century sits alongside the school’s football field, and Caulton says it’s a community landmark. “All the students take their senior pictures with the caboose. That’s how train-obsessed we are here.”
Downtown Brunswick is under construction, and more shopping is being developed
Antique shops, a bike store and fitness studios fill Italianate and Queen Anne-style buildings in downtown Brunswick. The town’s 1950s firehouse has been converted into Smoketown Brewing Station, now offering 24 beers on tap, open-mic nights and weekly trivia. Light filters through stained glass windows at Beans in the Belfry, a coffee shop housed in a Gothic Revival-style church from 1910. “Backpackers that hike the trails in town will get off whatever path they're on just to eat and drink at those two places,” Caulton says. Several buildings downtown are under construction as Brunswick Forward aims to add more apartment complexes and rehabilitate vacant storefronts for new businesses. The group also organizes the Brunswick Farmers Market, held in the Martin’s Creek Municipal Parking Lot every Saturday between May and September. Efforts for Brunswick Forward began in 2021 and will continue to develop over the next decade. In the north part of town, a Weis Markets grocery store anchors the Brunswick Crossing Shopping Center, which also has a nail salon, an animal hospital and a few fast-food places. Before the commercial strip was built in 2017, Caulton says locals ran errands in Frederick, about 17 miles east. “Frederick has a Costco, a hospital and more restaurants. People still drive out there occasionally, but now it's not our only option.” She adds that more retail space is coming to Brunswick. “There’s another plot of land near Brunswick Crossing set aside for more stores and restaurants, but development hasn’t started yet.”
Weverton Cliffs and Harpers Ferry National Historical Park are within hiking and biking distance
The town has several small green spaces, including Brunswick City Park, home to a playground and community center that’s available to rent. But Caulton says the most popular outdoor activity here is hiking. “It’s everybody’s hobby in this town. Rain or shine, hiking trails here always have someone on them.” After parking at the train station, locals can hop on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, a 185-mile-long trail stretching between Georgetown and Cumberland. Kayak launches and shoreline fishing spots dot the gravel trail, densely shaded by oak and sycamore trees. A 4-mile hike west reaches the 500-foot-tall Weverton Cliffs, overlooking the Potomac River and Short Hill Mountain. Traveling 8 miles in the same direction leads to Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where abolitionist John Brown raided the federal armory in 1859 and sparked the Civil War. Today, the park has several museums, Civil War battlegrounds and preserved 19th-century buildings. “My kids and their friends have ridden their bikes there a few times because it only takes like 45 minutes,” Caulton says. “It’s a day trip that everybody in town has done at least once.”
Brunswick Railroad Days attracts thousands of visitors
Brunswick celebrates several annual community events, including the Veterans Day Parade, when high school cheerleaders, vintage cars and a World War II tank travel through downtown. But Caulton says the most popular event is Brunswick Railroad Days, held the first weekend of October. “All of downtown Brunswick is closed off on Saturday and Sunday, and thousands of people come every year.” Musicians strum guitars as festival-goers shop from local vendors and watch model trains zoom around tracks. Even though the Brunswick Line doesn’t usually operate on weekends, a MARC train carries passengers through Shenandoah Junction, Harpers Ferry and then back to Brunswick. The ride passes by golden fall foliage, goes over the Potomac River and offers panoramic views of the Appalachian Mountains. “The train ride is why most people come. You have to buy tickets for that before the festival, and they usually sell out.”
Photography Contributed By
Tyler Priola
