Laconia Passenger Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Laconia Passenger Station
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Postcard of the station from c.1910
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 9-23 Veterans Sq., Laconia, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 1.1 acres (0.45 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Bradford Gilbert |
| Architectural style | Romanesque, Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001667 |
| Added to NRHP | January 11, 1982 |
The Laconia Passenger Station is an old train station in Laconia, New Hampshire. It was built way back in 1892 for the Boston and Maine Railroad. This building is a great example of a special style of architecture called Richardsonian Romanesque. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today, it's not a train station anymore, but it's home to different shops and businesses.
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Discover the Laconia Train Station
You can find the old Laconia Passenger Station in downtown Laconia. It sits on a unique block of streets. The building faces a grassy area called Veterans Square.
It's a long, rectangular building made from strong granite and red sandstone. The side facing away from the square used to have train tracks. The middle part of the building, which was the waiting room, is about two and a half stories tall. It has a cool pyramid-shaped roof.
On each side of the waiting room are single-story sections. These parts have tall, sloped roofs. At the front, there's a special covered entrance called a porte-cochère. This area has big, rounded arches. Inside the old waiting room, you can still see a large sandstone fireplace. The floor is covered with patterned tiles.
Who Designed the Station?
The Laconia Passenger Station was built in 1892. It was designed by an architect named Bradford Gilbert from New York City. Gilbert is famous for creating the first building with a steel frame and glass walls. This building was the Tower Building in New York.
Besides that, he designed many train stations. At least five of his train stations are now on the National Register of Historic Places.
A Special Building for Laconia
The station was first built for the Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad. Three years later, the Boston & Maine Railroad took it over. The station is very large and fancy for its time. This was partly because of Charles Busiel. He was a local businessman who later became the governor of New Hampshire. He worked hard to make sure the station was impressive.
This station is one of the only 19th-century train stations of its size and style left in New Hampshire. It shows how important railroads were back then.
What Happened to the Station?
The station served as a busy train hub until 1965. Even before that, starting in 1963, parts of the building were used by the local police and courts. After the trains stopped using it, the building was changed. Now, it's used for different businesses and shops.
Images for kids
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The station as it looked in 2010
