How a Maryland Methodist Church Became a Major International Aviation Hub
In short: Before it was a bustling gateway for millions, the land beneath Baltimore/Washington International Airport belonged to a local congregation. In 1946, the Friendship Methodist Church was razed to make way for a new airfield, forever transforming a rural site into a critical piece of modern American infrastructure.
Planning for the airport began in 1944, when the Baltimore Aviation Commission identified a 2,100-acre tract near Linthicum Heights as the ideal location. The site was selected for its proximity to major rail lines and the proposed Baltimore–Washington Parkway. Construction required significant displacement; the state purchased land from the Friendship Methodist Church, which held its final service on Easter Sunday in 1948, and relocated 170 graves from a local cemetery.
The facility, originally named Friendship International Airport, was dedicated by President Harry S. Truman on June 24, 1950. It cost $15 million to build and quickly became a vital hub. By 1980, it made history as the first U.S. airport to feature a dedicated intercity rail station, connecting passengers directly to the Amtrak Northeast Corridor. This rail access provided a strategic advantage over neighboring airports, such as Dulles, which did not secure similar transit links until 2022.
Today, the airport is a massive operation covering 3,160 acres. It serves as a primary base for Southwest Airlines, which accounts for a significant portion of its traffic. Recent years have seen massive capital investment, including a nearly $500 million A/B Connector project completed in January 2026. Despite its evolution into a major international transit point, the airport continues to balance its role as a regional economic engine with ongoing infrastructure modernization, including recent grants for runway and security upgrades.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Baltimore/Washington International Airport
- Also: Wikidata — Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport · CC0
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