Lee station (Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lee Station
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 109 Railroad St., Lee, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1894 |
| NRHP reference No. | 10001067 |
| Added to NRHP | December 27, 2010 |
The Lee station is an old train station in Lee, Massachusetts. It was built way back in 1893. This station was a busy spot for people traveling on the Housatonic Railroad. This train line connected towns like Pittsfield to the north and places in Connecticut to the south.
The station was the main place for passengers in Lee until 1971. That's when the Penn Central Railroad stopped passenger train service. Later, in 1976, the building was changed into offices. Then, in 1981, it became a restaurant! Today, it's also used for special train trips by the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. Because of its history, Lee Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
About Lee Station
The Lee station building is in the middle of Lee village. You can find it on the west side of Railroad Street, right where Elm Street meets it. It's just one block west of Main Street, which is also United States Route 20. The station sits next to the train tracks that run north and south. These tracks are close to the Housatonic River.
The station is a single-story building made of wood. It has a brick basement that you can see on the side facing the tracks. This is because the ground slopes down there. The outside of the building looks cool with a mix of wooden boards and shingle patterns. This style is called Queen Anne. The front of the building, facing the street, has ten sections. Eight of these sections have windows, and two have doors. The main door is in the middle. The side facing the tracks has nine sections. A part in the middle sticks out; this is where the train agent's office used to be.
A Busy Hub for Travelers and Goods
The Housatonic Railroad built this station in 1893. Soon after, a bigger company called the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H) took over the Housatonic line. Lee station was a "combination station." This means it handled both people traveling and goods being shipped.
In the mid-1900s, this station was very busy! Many famous trains stopped here. These included the Berkshire, Housatonic, Litchfield, and others. These trains traveled between New York City and Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Passenger service stopped in 1971, and freight service ended in 1973.
The railroad was super important for Lee's economy. It helped move things the town made, like paper, to markets. It also brought in raw materials. Plus, it brought many vacationers to the area's summer homes and hotels. Lee station was the busiest stop on the train line between the big cities of Pittsfield, Massachusetts and Bridgeport, Connecticut.
New Life for an Old Station
After the trains stopped running, the Penn Central Railroad decided they didn't need the station anymore. So, they sold it to private owners in 1976. At first, a real estate business used the building. But in 1981, it was changed into a restaurant, giving this historic building a brand new purpose!
