History:
In the 1830’s, there was a settlement of houses and stores along Parr’s Ridge. During its early days, however, the settlement had no name. In the 1840’s, the Town’s few citizens felt the need for a church and education for their children, so in 1846, the Ridge Presbyterian Church was built and a private school was conducted in the basement for the next 20 years. This church building has been preserved and is now know as Pine Grove Chapel.
The years between 1833 and 1850 were growing years for the B&O Railroad, which ran between Baltimore and Frederick, and then on to Cumberland and further west. Parr’s Ridge was a challenge to the engineer’s ability to design engines capable of pulling cars over the summit. Tracks were laid into the village and a station was built. As the railroad grew, so did the Town. Much of its prosperity can be traced to the B&O Railroad.
History tells of an Irish B&O brakeman whose ears were freezing from the keen, cold air which crosses Parr’s Ridge. He suggested the name Mount Airy would be appropriate. The name met with the favor of the people and became the Town’s legal name.
