A Literal Taste of the Past, Present and Future
A first-time guest to the Deep Creek Lake area may pass right by the small town of Deer Park, unaware of the critical role the town played in bringing tourism to the lake and bottled water to our fridge. Tucked beside Maryland Highway 135, with a current population of 300 residents, Deer Park will forever own its place in history as the original water source for Deer Park Natural Spring Water.
With the westward expansion of the railroad, one of the original founders of the area, John Garrett, realized that the Deep Creek Lake area had the potential to draw large crowds from the surrounding cities, particularly in the summer with the draw of the cool mountain air. What was lacking, Garrett realized, was lodging to house guests to the area. In 1865, the B&O railroad approved its first train station in the town of Deer Park, and three years later, the company purchased an additional 300 acres of land in the town and set out to build a summer resort that would attract the most elite of guests: The Deer Park Hotel.
The town of Deer Park then had the trifecta- a train station, a luxurious summer resort, and pure spring water free of city toxins. Swiftly, Deer Park became a hub of activity for the area. Revered for its architecture with Swiss inspiration, the Deer Park Hotel became an exclusive resort known for the mountain views, fine dining, and maybe most notably, the water it served its guests. Sourced directly from Boiling Spring, which is still operational today, guests began to notice the distinct clarity of the water, free from the pollutants found in city water. The water from the spring was such a favorite for guests that they began to request that the spring water be served on the train. B&O did not have the original intention of offering the water on the train; however, the emphatic request of the customers did not go unnoticed, and the fact that the railroad could not have had easier access to the water, the natural spring water did indeed become part of the dining service for the B&O railroad.
With this increased demand for the water, a small bottling plant was founded in Deer Park. It was a small-batch, two-man operation. Glass bottles, labeled “Deer Park Spring Water- Bottled and Sealed at the Boiling Spring, Deer Park, Maryland,” were stocked onto the trains as they arrived, returned from the B&O dining service, sterilized and refilled. The original bottle label also featured the image of a buck, stream, and mountains. As the label evolved over the years, the Deer Park name and the image of the buck have been steadfast features of the label. The mountains and stream images have come and gone from iterations of the label.
Over the course of forty years of serving Deer Park Water on the railroad, the bottling production increased and was eventually moved to a larger facility built closer to the residential part of the Deer Park town and directly beside the railroad. Not only was the facility the source of employment for many locals, but it was also a source of pride for the town. While bottling operations at the local Deer Park facility ended in the 1960’s, the plant still stands today. Visitors are not permitted at the plant, which is fenced in, but the blue-gray building, with its original Deer Park Spring Water sign, is visible from The Deer Park Inn on the road.
After over 50 years of the water from Boiling Spring first being bottled, that same spring still flows strong and remains a source for the water. The original Deer Park Hotel is also long gone; however, The Deer Park Inn can give present-day guests a feel for the past as they reside and dine in a restored Victorian Mansion known as Pennington Cottage. Only a few steps away from the Deer Park Inn is an important piece of presidential history- the cottage President Grover Cleveland honeymooned in. The cottage is on private property, but, through the trees, onlookers can view the bright yellow cottage in which the president once vacationed.
If you are visiting the area, Deer Park awaits you. A stroll through the streets of the town would be of particular interest to history buffs, admirers of architecture, and railroad enthusiasts. The town offers a quiet solitude, nestled in the mountains, with a history rich in the roots of Garrett County.
Written by Francesca Branson.
From the July issue of the Lakefront Magazine.
