Story by Jack White
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— Excerpt —
Over the years, he restored the police force, built a park, and protected the town from floods and nuclear war, but perhaps his greatest accomplishment was joining Thelma Wimmer to save the Sykesville Train Station.
He says, “I could talk for hours on the train station. When I took over, the B&O wanted to tear it down. It was just a shed. But I had this dream along with Thelma Wimmer. B&O had given us six months, or else they were going to tear it down, and Thelma and I did not want it torn down.
“I had some resistance in the town against spending the money to save the station. It got on the ballot as a referendum item, and it passed overwhelmingly. So, we knew the town was behind it, and then we started finding funds for it.
“People donated, and we cleaned it up. I remember I was in there doing windows, and all of a sudden, I discovered this fine window with imprinted glass. I thought it was dirt on there, but it was imprinted glass where the clerk’s office was. The glass had a design on it. It was like a waterfall. It was a beautiful design.
“I had the idea that this could be a white tablecloth restaurant. And we got some local businesses to support it. In fact, Southern States was very supportive. And we worked out a deal that the town became the owner and still is the owner. Baldwin’s rents from the town. And it’s a very good restaurant. I enjoy eating there.”
In 1990, Lloyd and Ruth were married at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, and then, accompanied by bagpipes, they marched down Main Street to his law offices for a reception before heading over to the train station for their wedding meal.
“The town owned the station but had not yet begun the process of renovation. It was a wreck in there. There was plaster falling off the walls. The toilet was still working, and we had someone clean up the restroom. We had about 40 people. We had space heaters, because it was February 17. We had it catered. We were the first ones to eat food in that station.”
— End of Excerpt —
