Port Ben station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Port Ben
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North elevation and west profile, 2008
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| Location | 24 Towpath Road, Wawarsing, Ulster County, New York 14258 |
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NYO&W Port Ben abandoned station
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Wawarsing, NY |
| Area | 13.5 acres (5.5 ha) |
| Built | 1912 |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001448 |
| Added to NRHP | January 11, 2002 |
The NYO&W Port Ben station is an old, abandoned train station. It is located at 24 Towpath Road in the town of Wawarsing, New York. This building was put up in the early 1900s by the New York, Ontario and Western Railway (O&W). It was built in a special style called Tudor Revival.
This station was part of the O&W's train route between Summitville and Kingston. Passenger trains stopped using the station around 1946. Freight trains ran until 1957, when the O&W railway closed down completely. Even though it is old and not used, the Port Ben station is still in good shape. In 2000, the station and the old train tracks were added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.
Contents
Where is the Port Ben Station?
The station is in a small area called Port Ben. It is a short distance east of the US 209 highway. You can find it north of Napanoch, on the east side of Rondout Creek. The station sits at the bottom of the Shawangunk Ridge.
Port Ben is a small community with houses and mobile homes. Right next to the station is the empty path of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. This canal is also a very important historical site.
The Old Towpath Road
Towpath Road is on the west side of the station. This road was used by people and horses to pull boats along the canal a long time ago. Later, the O&W railway used this area for its tracks. About 4,700 feet (1,400 meters) of the old train tracks are still visible next to the station. This land is also part of the historic listing. The total area of the historic site is about 13.5 acres (5.5 hectares).
What Does the Station Look Like?
The station building has one floor. It is made of wood and sits on a brick base. The roof is low and sloped, covered with slate tiles. There is a brick chimney at the north end of the building. Wide parts of the roof stick out, supported by decorative brackets.
The outside of the building has a special look. It has light brown stucco with wooden beams, giving it a "half-timbered" style. Some parts of the outside have graffiti spray-painted on them. The windows are placed in different spots, depending on how the station was used.
Windows and Doors
On the south side, there is a window that sticks out a bit. This was for the trainmaster to see the tracks. There are also separate doors for passengers and for freight (goods). The north side has square windows, some in pairs and some by themselves. There is also a freight entrance near the west end. The west end has two square windows, but one is currently boarded up. The east end has a passenger entrance and another window.
Inside the Old Station
Inside, the building is split into different rooms. There was a waiting area for passengers, a ticket office, and an office for handling freight. Many of the original parts of the inside are still there. This includes the plaster walls and the wooden panels on the lower part of the walls. The frames around the doors and windows are also original. You can still see the old electrical switches. There is even some coal left in the coal bin!
