Powerplant History

The Creation of a Central Powerplant (1911)

In 1911, Springfield State Hospital constructed its first true central powerplant, located on the south side of the campus, directly across from the women’s group buildings. As the hospital expanded rapidly in the early 20th century, this new powerhouse became essential, replacing the smaller, decentralized systems that had previously served different areas of the grounds.

Its completion marked the start of a unified energy system capable of supporting one of Maryland’s largest state institutions.

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Power Before the Central Plant

Before 1911, Springfield relied on two separate and limited power sources:

• The Men’s Group was powered from the basement of Cottage C, using early underground tunnels.

• The Women’s Group received power from a similar plant in the basement of the Administration Building.

These systems worked for a smaller campus but became inadequate as the population and building count surged.
The 1911 plant was designed to replace both, bringing efficiency and reliability to the entire hospital.

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The Underground Tunnel Network

Once operational, the powerplant distributed heat and energy through an extensive system of underground steam tunnels.

These tunnels:

• Connected every major hospital building

• Carried steam, hot water, electrical conduit, and utility lines

• Provided protected routes for staff to travel during harsh weather

• Were used for discreet transport of diseased or contagious patients, limiting exposure to the rest of the campus

• Formed the backbone of Springfield’s infrastructures for more than a century

This underground engineering marvel allowed the vast hospital campus to function as a single, interconnected organism.

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Railroad Built

To keep its boilers running, the Springfield powerplant required a constant supply of coal—thousands of tons each year.
To meet this demand, the hospital operated its own dedicated railroad line known locally as the “Dinky Line.”

Named for its small, compact locomotive, the Dinky Line served as Springfield’s private industrial railway. Coal cars arrived via the B&O Railroad in Sykesville, where the hospital’s tiny engine would couple to them. From there, the train traveled from downtown Sykesville up the hill to the Springfield campus, supplying the plant with:

• Coal for steam and power

• Building materials for new construction

• Supplies essential to daily operations

For decades, the small locomotive was a familiar sight traveling between the hospital and the B&O tracks, a symbol of Springfield’s self-sustaining infrastructure.

The Dinky Line operated until the 1970s, when modernization and declining hospital operations made it obsolete. While the rails across the Springfield campus have been removed, sections of the original track still remain in downtown Sykesville, quietly marking the path of this once-vital supply lifeline.

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Hospital Laundry

Along with generating power, the new plant took on the role of central laundry facility.
Laundry had previously been washed inside one of the women’s group buildings. With the construction of the powerplant, Springfield consolidated all washing operations into the new facility, creating a modern industrial laundry capable of supporting thousands of patients and staff.

The laundry remained operational for more than a century and eventually housed EVS (Environmental Services) up until the building’s closure.

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Decline, Shutdown, & Vacancy

As Springfield State Hospital gradually downsized, the powerplant’s importance diminished. Eventually, the boilers stopped running, though the laundry area stayed active for decades.

In 2024, structural concerns over the plant’s tall smokestack—which had begun to lose stability—forced the closure of the entire building. Since then, the powerplant has remained vacant, ending more than 110 years of continuous service to the hospital.

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A Century of  Service

From its first whistle of steam in 1911 to its quiet abandonment in 2024, the Springfield powerplant stood as the core infrastructure of the hospital.
It powered the buildings, heated the wards, washed the linens, and—thanks to the Dinky Line—connected the institution to the town of Sykesville and the wider world.

Though silent now, the powerplant remains a monumental piece of Springfield’s history and one of the most important industrial structures ever built on the grounds.