Ely Railroad Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ely Railroad Depot
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 Location in Vermont
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| Location | Ely Rd. at Old Route 5, Fairlee, Vermont |
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| Area | 0.2 acres (0.081 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| Built by | Boston & Maine Railroad |
| NRHP reference No. | 94001448 |
| Added to NRHP | December 9, 1994 |
The Ely Railroad Depot is an old train station in Fairlee, Vermont. It was built in 1900 by the Boston and Maine Railroad. This station was special because it had rooms for the stationmaster to live in. It also had all the usual train station services. The Ely Railroad Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. This means it's an important historical building.
About the Ely Train Station
The old Ely Depot is located in a country area of southern Fairlee. It sits on a piece of land shaped like a triangle. On one side are the old train tracks of the Boston and Maine Railroad. On the other side is an old part of United States Route 5. This road now runs next to the tracks.
The station building is made of wood and has two and a half stories. It has a pointed roof and its outside walls are covered with clapboard siding. On the side facing the tracks, there is a part that sticks out. This section used to hold the telegrapher's booth. A telegrapher sent messages using Morse code.
The front of the building, facing east, has some special supports called brackets. These show that there used to be a porch on the second floor. Near the building, you can still see an original semaphore mast. A semaphore was a tall pole with movable arms. It was used to signal trains. Inside, the station still looks much like it did. It had a waiting area, an office for the station agent, and a place to store freight. The second floor was where the stationmaster lived.
History of the Ely Depot
The train line that goes through southern Fairlee opened in 1848. It was built by the Connecticut and Passumpsic River Railroad. The station here was first called Wares Crossing. It was named after a local landowner.
In 1865, a man named Smith Ely bought land nearby. He owned a mining business in Vershire, Vermont. It was too expensive to build a train line to his mines. So, he used this station to send and store his mining goods.
The building you see today was built around 1900. The previous station had burned down. The Boston & Maine Railroad, which took over from the first company, built the new one. In the early 1900s, the station became a very popular stop. Many people traveling to the summer camps at Lake Fairlee would get off here.
The Ely station closed down in the 1960s. In the 1970s, the waiting room and agent's office were used as a local post office.
