Benson Street station

Last updated

Benson Street
Benson Street Station - February 2015.jpg
The Benson Street station in February 2015.
General information
Location77 Benson Street, Glen Ridge, New Jersey 07028
Owned by Norfolk Southern (formerly Erie Railroad, Conrail, New Jersey Transit)
Line(s)
Platforms2 ground-level
Tracks2
Construction
Platform levels1
Other information
Station code1735 (Erie Railroad) [1]
History
OpenedJanuary 1, 1873 [2] [3] [4]
ClosedSeptember 20, 2002;21 years ago (2002-09-20) [5]
Rebuilt1883 [6]
ElectrifiedNot electrified
Previous namesGlen Ridge, [7] Chestnut Hill
Former services
Preceding station NJT logo.svg NJ Transit Following station
Walnut Street
toward Hackettstown
Boonton Line Rowe Street
toward Hoboken
Preceding station Erie Railroad Following station
Montclair New York and Greenwood Lake Railway Bloomfield
toward Jersey City

Benson Street is a former train station located in a residential section of the borough of Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

Contents

History

The station when it was known as Chestnut Hill Glen Ridge Benson Street - Bailey.jpg
The station when it was known as Chestnut Hill

The station was constructed in 1883 in a unique English Tudor design with stucco facades and a slate roof [6] as part of the New York and Greenwood Lake Railway, an Erie Railroad operation, and was known as Glenwood. It had a two platform, two track station with the gas lights on the side of tracks. [7] It later became a stop on New Jersey Transit Rail Operations Boonton Line, which runs from Hoboken Terminal to Hackettstown, and renamed Benson Street. Service was discontinued to Benson Street (along with Rowe Street in Bloomfield and Arlington in Kearny) on September 20, 2002 [5] when the Montclair Connection was opened. [8] Glen Ridge is serviced to the south at Glen Ridge station in the downtown commercial district.

In May 2009, the Benson Street station was sold to private owners by New Jersey Transit to rehabilitate the aging structure, and the new owners began stabilizing the structure which had been damaged by a fire in the 1980s and was in serious disrepair. The building is part of the Glen Ridge Historic District. On December 2, 2009, after a review from the New Jersey State Historical Preservation Organization, the new owners received approval to begin preliminary reconstruction of the former Benson Street Station. This rehabilitation project started by restructuring the basement of the building. [9] By June 2010, the station had received new gutters, new walls and brand new roofing. Parts of the building's first floor paneling was kept, although the second story requires brand new paneling as it is converted into a new single family home. [6] The restoration of the building was completed around May 2012. As of 2013 it is now a single family home, although one platform and track survive today. [10]

See also

Bibliography

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References

  1. "List of Station Names and Numbers". Jersey City, New Jersey: Erie Railroad. May 1, 1916. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  2. Catlin 1873, p. 33.
  3. Whittemore 1894, p. 47.
  4. Baxter & Adams 1999, p. 147.
  5. 1 2 "The Montclair-Boonton Line" (PDF). Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit Rail Operations. September 2002. Retrieved February 13, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. 1 2 3 Roll, Erin (June 17, 2010). "Benson repairs move into next phase". Glen Ridge Voice. Glen Ridge, New Jersey: North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Yanosey, Robert J. (2006). Erie Railroad Facilities (In Color). Vol. 1. Scotch Plains, New Jersey: Morning Sun Books Inc. p. 69. ISBN   1-58248-183-0.
  8. "Rail Shuttle Buses To Transport Commuters Affected By Station Closures". Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Transit. August 27, 2002. Archived from the original on May 22, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2009.
  9. "News Benson work OK to restart". NorthJersey.com. New Jersey: North Jersey Media Group. December 2, 2009. Retrieved December 8, 2009.
  10. Galant, Debbie (May 14, 2012). "Benson Street Station's Fairytale Ending". Baristanet. Essex County, New Jersey. Baristanet LLC. Retrieved May 14, 2012.

40°48′16″N74°11′58″W / 40.8044797°N 74.199318°W / 40.8044797; -74.199318