Annapolis Junction Post Office and Hotels

The Annapolis Junction Post Office was established on August 26, 1844, in Anne Arundel County, with Alexander Sumwalt serving as the first postmaster. In July 1849, 22-year-old Irish immigrant George G. Latchford took over the role. He managed the original Annapolis Junction Hotel on the east side of the tracks (Anne Arundel County), where the post office was located, a common arrangement for railroad "nodes."

By 1860, the Junction expanded. George Latchford built a new, large frame establishment on the west side of the tracks (Howard District) known as the Howard House (some of these establishments switched between being called a hotel and a house). He sold his interest in the original eastern hotel to Michael Fitzsimmons, a fellow Irish immigrant, who then became postmaster. For the next decade, the two men operated a virtual duopoly at the Junction, thriving on the "wait economy" of passengers transferring between the B&O and the A&E railroads. During the Civil War, the establishment was officially registered as a "7th Class Hotel," signaling its status as a recognized, licensed commercial landmark, albeit a small one.

The Panic of 1873 and the chronic insolvency of the A&E Railroad began to erode this prosperity. In 1871, Latchford sold the Howard Hotel to Simon Parkhurst for $4,000, and it was rebranded as the Parkhurst Hotel. Michael Fitzsimmons continued as postmaster until June 1871 followed by a brief five-month tenure by George Jones. The year before Fitzsimmon’s daughter married Joseph Latchford becoming a step-niece of George. In November 1871, Alphonse Latchford (George’s nephew) took over as postmaster, moving the office into the Howard/Parkhurst building.

The Junction’s volatility was underscored on May 12, 1875, when a locomotive spark ignited a fire that destroyed the A&E station-house. While the fire threatened a "general conflagration," the current shifted, saving the Parkhurst (Howard) Hotel. However, the original Annapolis Junction Hotel on the east side—described then as a "rickety" frame structure used as a passenger reception room—was consumed. This fire essentially ended the era of the two-hotel rivalry, leaving only the Howard/Parkhurst standing as the sole regional landmark.

The economic downturn forced the Parkhurst family to lease the property to George Bell (1873–1876), who maintained the site's prestige by hosting Grand Tournaments and political conventions. Eventually, the farm and hotel were put up for a mortgage sale in 1876. Michael Fitzsimmons returned as proprietor in 1877, and by June 1882, he formally restored the "Howard House" name.

Despite the 1887 opening of the "Short Line" which bypassed the Junction, Alphonse Latchford remained Postmaster until July 1896. The hotel structure itself, having survived the 1875 fire and decades of railroad decline, eventually became Henkel’s Restaurant which we will discuss in a future post. Next up is a discussion of the nearby campgrounds which did not continue the calm, country atmosphere that was an advertised attraction for the Junction’s early hotel business.

Research in Progress: This summary provides only high-level background. Full documentation and primary-source analysis will be published in Lost Howard County (2027). Please do not reuse or republish this research without permission.