Contoocook Railroad Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Contoocook Railroad Depot
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Contoocook Railroad Depot with 1907 passenger coach
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 896 Main Street, Contoocook, NH 03229 Off NH 103 and NH 127 Hopkinton, New Hampshire (village of Contoocook) |
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| Built | 1849-50, renovated 1999–2013 |
| Architectural style | Mid-Nineteenth Century Two Story Wooden Frame |
| Website | www.contoocookdepot.org |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000131 |
| Added to NRHP | March 16, 2006 |
The Contoocook Railroad Depot is a historic train station in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, specifically in the village of Contoocook. It was finished in 1849. This makes it one of the very first important train stations built west of Concord for the Concord and Claremont Railroad.
This building is special because it's one of the best-preserved train stations from the early days of railroads in New Hampshire. It shows us what train travel was like when it was just starting. The depot has a unique "gable-roofed" design. It's also a great example of the Greek Revival style of architecture, but with changes that made it perfect for a train station.
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Why This Building Is Special
The Contoocook Depot is one of the oldest and most original train stations from the 1850s in New Hampshire. The Concord and Claremont Railroad was a smaller line, so they didn't change the station much over time. This helped it survive!
Many other similar train stations from that time have disappeared. For example, stations that looked very much like Contoocook once stood in West Concord and Bradford, but they are gone now. The Contoocook Depot helps us understand how railroad buildings used to look.
How the Depot Helped the Community
From 1849 to 1960, the Contoocook Depot was like the main center of Contoocook Village. It wasn't just a place where people got on and off trains. It was also a hub for communication and business.
- Mail Service: Train mail was delivered here. For some years, the depot even served as the local post office!
- Telegraph Office: From 1866, the depot was also the public telegraph office. This meant people could send messages across long distances. Later, it connected to the Western Union system.
- Telephone Access: When the first telephones came to Contoocook in 1884, one of the two phone offices was right at the depot.
At first, trains from Contoocook mainly went to Concord. From there, travelers could connect to other lines. They could go to big cities like Manchester, Nashua, Lowell, and Boston. They could also travel north to places like West Lebanon and White River Junction, Vermont.
The railroad helped Contoocook Village grow. By 1858, maps showed many businesses near the depot. These included carpenter shops, a woolen mill, sawmills, a carriage shop, and a blacksmith shop. The village also had schools and an academy. The depot was a busy place, with a freight house nearby for goods.
The Contoocook Depot was important because it was where two different railroad lines met. It also served as a local office for express delivery companies like Railway and American Express. The area around the depot was a small but very active center for train services. Over time, many of the other buildings like the engine house and wood shed were removed, but the depot and the nearby covered bridge remained.
Who Owns and Cares for the Depot Now?
The Contoocook Riverway Association is a non-profit group. They were started in 1999. This group now owns the railroad depot, a train car, and the land around them. Their goal is to take care of these historic treasures.
Bringing the Depot Back to Life
In 2002, a big project began to restore the Contoocook Railroad Depot. The goal was to make it look just like it did in 1910. Chip Chesley, a former president of the Contoocook Riverway Association, said, "This was the village's front door." He felt it was important to restore it for everyone to enjoy.
The Contoocook Riverway Association bought the depot from the town of Hopkinton for just one silver dollar in 1999. The nearby covered bridge, which is also very old and special, is owned by the State of New Hampshire.
The restoration cost about $400,000. This money came from federal grants and donations from the community. The work took about three years. First, the roof was replaced with wooden shingles, like it had in the 1930s. Then, new siding and paint were added to the outside. Even the train signal, called a semaphore, was cleaned and painted.
Inside the depot, many original features were saved. These include two ticket windows and most of the old walls and ceilings. They are covered with a special type of wood paneling called "tongue-and-groove." Over the years, people in the community have returned many original items to the depot. These include the blue "Contoocook" station sign, a luggage cart, and a seating bench.
In 2007, a wooden Pullman Passenger Coach (a type of train car) was given to the Association. It was placed on tracks behind the depot, looking as if it's ready to travel again.
What the Depot Is Used For Today
Today, the Contoocook Depot is a museum and a visitor center. It is open on weekends and some weekdays. In 2013, the second floor was renovated. It now has a meeting room, more museum displays, and a place to store old documents. There's even an elevator inside, so everyone can easily visit the second floor.
See also
- Official website: http://www.contoocookdepot.org
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Images for kids
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Contoocook Railroad Depot with 1907 passenger coach
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Ladies Waiting Room fully restored to 1910 era
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Ticket agent window fully restored to 1910 era
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Contoocook Railroad Depot after renovations completed in 2005
