Yorktown Heights station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yorktown Heights
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South and west elevations with entrance after historic restoration in 2020
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| Location | Commerce Street, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 | ||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side | ||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 | ||||||||||
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Yorktown Heights Railroad Station
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Peekskill | ||||||||||
| Built | 1877 | ||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 81000419 | ||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | March 19, 1981 | ||||||||||
The Yorktown Heights station is an old train station in Yorktown Heights, New York. It used to be part of the Putnam Line, a railway that is now a walking and biking trail. This station is a special wooden building found on Commerce Street, right where it meets Underhill Avenue in Railroad Park.
This station was first built in 1877. It was created by the New York, Westchester and Putnam Railway. The train tracks it served were originally laid by the New York and Boston Railroad. Today, these old tracks are part of a popular rail trail, which is a path for walking and biking. The Yorktown Heights station is one of only three old train stations left in Westchester County. It's also one of just two stations of its size and style still standing. In 1981, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical building. It is the only property in Yorktown that has this special historical listing.
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What Does the Station Building Look Like?
The old station building is located in a small park in the middle of Yorktown. The former train tracks, now called the North County Trailway, run right next to its south side. The area around the station is paved with pink stone. There's a path that connects the trailway directly to the station building.
Outside the Station
The station building is a small, one-story structure made of wood. The lower part of its walls has a style called board and batten. The upper part uses clapboard siding. Vertical strips separate sections of the building. A horizontal strip above the foundation makes it look a bit like a half-timbered house.
The roof is covered with slate shingles. It has deep overhangs supported by decorative brackets. The roof combines both gable (pointed) and hipped (sloping on all sides) styles.
There are parts of the building that stick out, called bays, on the west and south sides. The windows have simple wooden frames. A brick chimney stands tall on the north side, which is the back of the building.
Inside the Station
Inside, the building is split into two main areas. There's a waiting room on the south side, which also included the ticket office. On the north side, there was a baggage room.
The waiting room has oak wood panels from the floor all the way to the ceiling. It also has oak floors and wooden benches for people to sit on. The ticket room has a shelf at the window and deep brackets under its top edge. A special double door, called a Dutch door, leads to the baggage room. A small bathroom has been added by dividing part of the baggage room.
History of the Yorktown Heights Station
The train line that served Yorktown was brought to the town in 1872. This happened thanks to two important citizens, Edward Underhill and Charles Whitney. The station building and a store were built five years later, in 1877.
A Busy Town Center
By the 1880s, the train station was the busiest spot in Yorktown. It was surrounded by many businesses and services. There were five stores, a school, and a hotel nearby. You could also find two locksmiths, a wheelwright (someone who repairs wheels), and two churches.
The New York Central Railroad took over the train line and the station in 1894. In 1902, they bought more land. They built a place to store train cars and a facility to service train engines. The station was also a connection point for the Mohansic Branch. This branch led to the Mohansic State Hospital, which is now Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park. This connection was used until 1917.
The Station's Later Years
The Yorktown Heights station stopped operating in 1958. This was just one year before passenger train service on the entire Putnam Line ended. Freight train service on parts of the line also stopped in 1962.
In 1966, the town of Yorktown bought the station. They were working on a plan to improve the town. At first, they thought about moving the station to use it as a bus station. However, in 1975, they changed their minds. The station stayed in its original spot. It was then restored to look like it used to. The idea was to use it as a museum and an office for the local Chamber of Commerce.
In 2020, more restoration work was finished. This work was paid for by a special grant from the federal government, given through the New York State Department of Transportation. The entire inside and outside of the building were carefully fixed up. The town now plans to use the old station as a visitor's center. It will be a helpful place for people who come to enjoy the North County Rail Trail.
