Peekskill Freight Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Peekskill Freight Depot
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West profile during renovation in 2007
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| Location | 41 South Water Street Peekskill, New York |
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| Built | c.1890 |
| Architectural style | Stick, Eastlake |
| NRHP reference No. | 04001207 |
| Added to NRHP | October 27, 2004 |
The Peekskill Freight Depot, also known as the Lincoln Depot, is a historic brick building in Peekskill, New York. It was built in the late 1800s.
This special place is where Abraham Lincoln gave a speech. He stopped here on his train trip to Washington after becoming president. This was his only public visit in Westchester County. The building used to be a train station for cargo. Now, it's the only old freight station left from the original Hudson River Railroad line. In 2004, it became a historic landmark. In 2014, it was turned into the Lincoln Depot Museum.
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About the Building
The Peekskill Freight Depot is a one-story building. It is made of brick and has a shallow, sloped roof. The roof hangs over the platform by about eight feet. This helped protect workers from rain and sun while they loaded and unloaded goods.
The roof is held up by special supports called brackets. It also has decorative wooden edges called vergeboards. The brick walls have vertical sections called pilasters. These are placed between the building's window or door sections.
Inside, the building still has many of its original features. These include the cement floor and wooden panels on the lower part of the walls. You can also see the exposed wooden beams that support the roof.
A Look Back in Time
The very first train depot here was made of wood. It was built around 1850 by the Hudson River Railroad. This depot handled all the cargo coming into and out of Peekskill. Back then, Peekskill was a busy industrial city.
Around 1890, the current brick depot was built. Its platform stretched out along the train tracks. There are stories of fires in the 1880s and again in 1898. Some peeling paint inside the building suggests a fire might have happened.
Lincoln's Visit to Peekskill
On February 19, 1861, Abraham Lincoln stopped at this depot. He was on his way to become president. A local congressman, William Nelson, invited him to speak.
About 1,500 people came to hear Lincoln. This was about half of Peekskill's population at the time! Lincoln asked for their support during a difficult time. Four states had already left the United States. This was Lincoln's only recorded visit to Westchester County.
Peekskill is very proud of Lincoln's visit. In 1925, a special stone memorial was built nearby. It is called the Lincoln Exedra. The speech was remembered on its 50th anniversary in 1911. It was celebrated again on its 100th anniversary in 1961. For that event, actors dressed as Lincoln and Nelson re-enacted the speech. The Lincoln Society of Peekskill helps keep this memory alive.
Over time, the railroad changed. Peekskill's industries also slowed down. So, freight shipments stopped, and the building became empty. The train line is now the Metro-North Hudson commuter line. It mostly carries passengers today.
The Lincoln Depot Museum
In April 2005, George Pataki helped get money for the Lincoln Depot Museum. He was the Governor of New York State and used to be the mayor of Peekskill. The museum would be located in the old freight depot building.
Work on the project began on February 9, 2011. By then, the Lincoln Depot Foundation had raised about $3 million. The building was fully restored in May 2013. The New York State Office of Historic Preservation helped with this work. The museum officially opened to the public on October 18, 2014.
