Fanwood station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fanwood
The Fanwood station as viewed from the pedestrian overpass on a winter afternoon.
Location	South Avenue & South Martine Avenue, Fanwood, New Jersey
Owned by	New Jersey Transit
Line(s)	Raritan Valley Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	NJ Transit Bus: 113 Olympia Trails: Westfield Commuter Service
Construction
Parking	Yes, paid and permit parking
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	9
History
Opened	January 1, 1839
Rebuilt	1868
Previous names	Scotch Plains Fanwood Park
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	974 (average weekday)
Services
Preceding station NJ Transit Following station Netherwood toward High Bridge Raritan Valley Line Westfield toward New York Penn Station or Hoboken
Former services Preceding station Central Railroad of New Jersey Following station Netherwood toward Somerville Somerville – Jersey City Local Westfield toward Jersey City
Central Railroad of New Jersey
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Fanwood's former CNJ depot in January 2020.
Location in Union County, New Jersey Show map of Union County, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	238 North Avenue, Fanwood, New Jersey
Area	0.5 acres (0.2 ha)
Built	1874 (1874)
Architect	Central Railroad of New Jersey
Architectural style	Late-Victorian
NRHP reference No.	80002521
Added to NRHP	July 17, 1980

The Fanwood train station is in Fanwood, New Jersey. It is part of the New Jersey Transit system. Trains on the Raritan Valley Line stop here. The station has a beautiful old building on the north side of the tracks. This building is from the Victorian era. It is now used by a non-profit group. You can find the ticket office in the station building on the south side. The Fanwood station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it is an important historical place.

History of Fanwood Station

Early Beginnings: Scotch Plains Station

The very first train station in this area was built in 1837. It was called the Scotch Plains station. This station was about a quarter-mile north of where the current station is. The Elizabethtown and Somerville Railroad opened this line. At that time, trains used wood-burning engines. These engines were not strong enough to climb steep hills. So, the original tracks had to go around the Fanwood hill. Today, Midway Avenue follows the path of that old train line.

Moving the Tracks and Naming Fanwood

Later, trains started using more powerful coal-burning engines. These new engines could climb hills. Because of this, the Central Railroad of New Jersey decided to move the train line. They started buying land in 1867 for the new tracks. The company had to buy all the land between the old and new lines. This land was shaped like a fan, wide at one end and narrow at the other.

The station's name was changed from Scotch Plains to Fanwood Park. The name "Fanwood" came from Miss Fanny Wood. She was the daughter of a railroad official. The railroad company also developed the land around the new station. They created suburban housing lots with curved streets. This new area was called Fanwood Park. A company connected to the railroad built and sold houses there for 40 years. The Borough of Fanwood was officially created in 1895.

The Fanwood Station Buildings

The Fanwood Station Complex includes three main parts. There is the main station building, a shelter, and an overpass.

• The main station building was built in 1874. It has a popular Victorian style called Carpenter Gothic. This style often features decorative "gingerbread trim."
• The shelter was built in 1897. It was designed for baggage and as a waiting area for passengers on the south side of the tracks. It looks similar to the main building.
• The overpass was built in 1946. It is a bridge that connects the two sides of the tracks.

The Fanwood station was officially recognized as a historic place on July 17, 1980.

Station Layout and Platforms

The Fanwood station has two low-level side platforms. This means the platforms are at ground level. Passengers use these platforms to get on and off the trains.