Machias Railroad Station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Machias Railroad Station
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 27 East Main Street, Machias, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1898 |
| Architect | Varney, Howard |
| Architectural style | Washington County RR Station |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001293 |
| Added to NRHP | October 2, 1992 |
The Machias Railroad Station is a historic building in Machias, Maine. It was built in 1898. This station is one of only five buildings still standing that were made by the Washington County Railroad. This railroad was an ambitious project, but it didn't last very long.
On October 2, 1992, the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. In 2015, plans were made to fix up the station. The goal was to turn it into a visitor center and a place for community meetings.
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Exploring the Machias Station
The old Machias railroad station is located on the north side of United States Route 1. It sits at the edge of the downtown area. Just north of the station is the Downeast Sunrise Trail. This trail used to be the actual railroad tracks!
What the Station Looks Like
The station is a long, rectangular building. It's made of wood and has one story. The roof is sloped (a gable roof) and has wide parts that hang over the sides. These overhangs are held up by angled wooden supports called chamfered braces. The outside walls are covered with weatherboard, which are long, thin wooden boards.
On the side where the trains used to run, there's a three-sided ticket booth that sticks out. Next to it, you can still see a working signal that used to tell trains what to do. This side also has two big doors for freight. One door is at ground level. The other is about two feet higher. This made it easy to load and unload goods directly from train cars.
Inside the station, most of the original wooden features are still there. Even though the passenger waiting area was changed into a storage space for freight in the 1950s, much of its history remains.
A Brief History of the Railroad
The Washington County Railroad started in 1894. They began building their train lines the next year. The very first train ran in 1899, a little later than planned because of money problems. The railroad hoped to make a lot of money. However, the line, which ran between Brewer and Calais, wasn't very successful financially.
In 1903, the railroad's property was sold off. It was then leased to the Maine Central Railroad. During its short time, the Washington County Railroad built 24 stations. Most of these stations looked very similar. Today, only five of them are still standing.
The Machias station was built in 1898. It was made bigger in 1910. In 1957, the building was changed to be a freight depot. That's when the large freight doors were added on the track side. Some changes were also made inside. The train line itself was finally closed down in 1985.
The Station Today
The town of Machias now owns the building. They have leased it to the local chamber of commerce for just $1. In 2015, the chamber started raising money. Their goal is to finish fixing up the inside of the station. Once it's restored, it will be used as a visitors center. It will also be a place where people in the community can hold meetings.
