Mechanicsville is a small unincorporated community established about 1850, known for agriculture, many small businesses, churches, schools, community gathering places, and historic homes. In the village’s early days, homes and businesses stood on both sides of the roadway now known as Old Village Road. Most historians believe the name Mechanicsville came from the central location of blacksmiths and other area craftsmen. Although the village has evolved in modern times, it still retains its rural flavor and small-town feel. In 1918, local farmers joined together to buy the railroad then known as the Washington, Potomac & Chesapeake Railroad Company as it was being sold for scrap. The new line was incorporated as the Washington, Brandywine and Point Lookout Railroad, with local citizens serving as the board of directors. Farm goods were shipped along the railway, and passenger service continued until about 1928, when improved roads and the growing popularity of automobiles reduced its importance.