Lenox station (Massachusetts) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lenox Railroad Station
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Lenox Station and the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 10 Willow Creek Rd. Lenox, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | James Clifford's Sons |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000225 |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 1989 |
The Lenox station is an old train station in Lenox, Massachusetts. It was built in 1902 and used to be a busy stop for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Trains stopped here until 1970.
Today, this historic building is home to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. It's also a stop for the special heritage train rides offered by the museum. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 because of its important history and unique style.
Discovering Lenox Station
The Lenox Railroad Station is located in eastern Lenox, right near Housatonic Road and Willow Creek Road. The train tracks run between the station and Woods Pond, which is a wide part of the Housatonic River.
The station building is about one and a half stories tall. It has covered shelters on both sides where passengers could wait for their trains. The station looks special because it's built in a style called Tudor Revival. This means it has a stucco outside with decorative wooden beams, making it look a bit like old English houses.
A Look Back at History
The station you see today was built in 1902 by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. It replaced an older station from around 1850 that had burned down. The Tudor Revival style is quite rare for train stations in this area, which makes the Lenox station stand out.
The Housatonic Railroad later took over the line. It became known as the Berkshire Division of the New Haven Railroad in 1892.
Trains and Travel
From 1937, the famous Tanglewood music festival started hosting summer events about five miles west of the station. During the busiest years in the mid-1900s, many trains stopped at Lenox station. Trains like the Berkshire, Housatonic, and Taconic would stop here. They traveled between New York City and Pittsfield.
The station stopped offering full-year service in 1958. After that, trains only stopped there from May to October. The very last summer for passenger train service was in 1970. Soon after, Amtrak took over many intercity train operations.
Today: A Museum!
Now, the Lenox station is home to the Berkshire Scenic Railway Museum. This museum helps people learn about the history of trains and railroads in the area. It's a great place to visit and imagine what train travel was like a long time ago!
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