Napanoch station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Napanoch
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Station building in 2007
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| Location | Dump Road, Napanoch, Ulster County, New York |
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New York, Ontario, and Western Railroad Passenger Station
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| Location | Napanoch, New York |
| Nearest city | Middletown |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | Jackson, Rosencrans & Canfield |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 99000086 |
| Added to NRHP | 1999 |
The New York, Ontario, and Western Railroad Passenger Station is an old train station located near Napanoch, New York. You can find it on Institution Road, between the Eastern Correctional Facility and Rondout Creek. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999 because of its importance.
Station History
The New York, Ontario and Western Railway, often called the O&W, built this station in 1903. It had two main purposes. First, it brought tourists to Napanoch, a popular spot for visitors. Second, it helped transport people to the new prison that had just opened nearby.
Before this permanent station was built, a temporary one served passengers. The design for the main station came from a New York City company called Jackson, Rosencrans & Canfield. They designed it in a Classical Revival style, which means it looked like old Greek and Roman buildings.
A train line connecting Ellenville to Kerhonkson opened in 1902. This line followed part of the old Delaware and Hudson Canal, which was no longer in use. You can still see a small part of this canal just west of the station building today.
Train service for passengers on the O&W ended in 1953. The station's original domed roof had worn out, so it was replaced with the tiled roof you see now. In 1957, the O&W company closed down, and all the train tracks were removed.
Preserving the Station
After the train service stopped, the station became the property of the state's prison department, the New York State Department of Correctional Services. This department already owned the land around the prison.
Later, the station was repaired and opened again as a museum. This museum tells the story of the station and the O&W railway. A small section of the old train track was even put back, and you can see several old railroad items on display there.
