Central Vermont Railroad Headquarters

Last updated

Central Vermont Railroad Headquarters
St. Albans station and office building, July 9, 1979.jpg
The present Amtrak station (left) and CVR office building (right)
USA Vermont location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationBounded roughly by Federal, Catherine, Allen, Lower Welden, Houghton, and Pine Sts., St. Albans
Coordinates 44°48′41″N73°5′15″W / 44.81139°N 73.08750°W / 44.81139; -73.08750
Area51 acres (21 ha)
Built1863 (1863)
Built by Central Vermont Railroad
NRHP reference No. 74000211 [1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 21, 1974

The Central Vermont Railroad Headquarters is a complex of railroad-related buildings and infrastructure in the city of St. Albans, Vermont. Developed between the 1860s and 1920s by the Central Vermont Railroad (CVR), the complex is the largest assemblage of railroad-related buildings in Vermont. Located between Catherine and Pine Streets on either side of Lake Street, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [1] Many of the buildings are no longer used for railroad functions, but the former Central Vermont Railway Office now houses the offices of the New England Central Railroad, and the present Amtrak station uses a former CVR building.

Contents

Description and history

The Central Vermont Railroad Headquarters complex is located just west of St. Albans' central business district, and is roughly bisected by Lake Street. It is bounded north of Lake Street by Pine and Federal Streets, and south of Lake by Houghton, Market, and Allen Streets. It includes buildings originally used as maintenance sheds, a freight depot, roundhouse, and the main office building that served as the Central Vermont's headquarters. The latter structure, built in the 1870s and located on the north side of Lake Street, is the dominant feature of the complex, distinguished by its Second Empire architecture and pair of 3-1/2 story mansard-roofed towers. North of that building stands a c. 1900 switch house which now serves as the depot for the Amtrak station, and north of that is a large roundhouse. On the south side of Lake Street is a large complex of maintenance facilities, which have mostly been repurposed to other commercial and industrial uses. [2]

The Central Vermont Railroad was formed in 1860 by consolidating a number of shorter lines, some of which had been bankrupted, into a single entity providing service from Montreal across Vermont and southern New England to the port cities of Boston, Massachusetts, New London, Connecticut, and later New York City. St. Albans was supposedly chosen as the headquarters site of the new railroad by J. Gregory Smith, a St. Albans native who became the railroad's first president. The property where its facilities are located had previously been developed on a smaller scale by the predecessor Vermont and Canada Railroad. Many of the former maintenance buildings, used for the construction and maintenance of the company's rolling stock, were built in the 1860s, along with the surviving headquarters building. By the turn of the 20th century, the CVR was Vermont's largest railroad operator. During the 20th century, its passenger business declined, and the four-track passenger depot, set just west of the headquarters, was demolished in 1963. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Central Railroad</span> US railroad established 1846

The Michigan Central Railroad was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad, which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail. After the 1998 Conrail breakup, Norfolk Southern Railway now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alvarado Transportation Center</span> Transit hub in the United States

The Alvarado Transportation Center (ATC) is a multimodal transit hub located at 100 1st Street SW in Downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. The complex was built as a hub for Albuquerque's regional transit system and as a replacement for Albuquerque's previous bus depot and train station. The center serves ABQ RIDE, Amtrak, Greyhound Lines, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrisburg Transportation Center</span> Intermodal station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The Harrisburg Transportation Center is a railway station and transportation hub in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is located on the eastern edge of Downtown Harrisburg between the intersections of Aberdeen and Market Streets and 4th and Chestnut Streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center</span> Transit facility in Massachusetts, US

The Joseph Scelsi Intermodal Transportation Center is a transit facility located in downtown Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The $11 million facility is named after Joseph Scelsi, a longtime State Representative who represented Pittsfield. Owned by the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority (BRTA), it is serviced by local BRTA bus services, Amtrak intercity rail service, and Peter Pan intercity bus service. The second floor of the building houses two classrooms used by Berkshire Community College and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Burlington, Vermont)</span> Rail station and office building in Burlington, Vermont, United States

Burlington Union Station is a train station and office building located in downtown Burlington, Vermont, United States. It is the northern terminal of the Amtrak Ethan Allen Express service. A single side platform on the west side of the station serves Vermont Railway excursion trains and Amtrak trains. The symmetrical Beaux Arts building, built of buff brick with limestone and granite trim, has a central pilaster over two entrances. The main building is divided for use by a variety of tenants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amherst station (Massachusetts)</span> Former railway station in Amherst, Massachusetts, US

Amherst is a former intercity rail station located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The station was built by the Amherst and Belchertown Railroad in 1853; it was served by the Central Vermont Railway until 1947. Amtrak service began in 1989 with the Montrealer; it was replaced by the Vermonter in 1995. The station was closed on December 28, 2014, when the Vermonter was rerouted to the faster Connecticut River Line to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bellows Falls station</span> Railroad station in Bellows Falls, Vermont, US

Bellows Falls station is an Amtrak intercity rail station located in the Bellows Falls village of Rockingham, Vermont, United States. The station is served by the single daily round trip of the Washington, D.C.–St. Albans Vermonter. It has a single side platform adjacent to the single track of the New England Central Railroad mainline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randolph station (Vermont)</span> Amtrak train station in Randolph, Vermont

Randolph station is an Amtrak train station in Randolph, Vermont, United States. The only train that serves the station is the Vermonter, which operates between St. Albans, Vermont and Washington, D.C. The former depot building contains a market and restaurant. On the other side of the tracks is the depot for a non-profit bus company, Tri-Valley Transit, essentially creating an unofficial intermodal transportation center. However, the schedules of the two systems are not aligned in any way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Albans station (Vermont)</span> Amtrak station in St. Albans, Vermont

St. Albans station is an Amtrak train station in St. Albans, Vermont, United States. It is the northern terminus of the daily Vermonter service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rouses Point station</span> Intercity rail station in New York, US

Rouses Point station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Rouses Point, New York, served by the single daily round trip of the Adirondack. The station building is a former Delaware and Hudson Railway constructed in 1889, with a one low-level side platform on the east side of the track. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005 as Rouses Point Railroad Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tallahassee station</span> Historic train station in Florida

Tallahassee station, also known as the Jacksonville, Pensacola and Mobile Railroad Company Freight Depot, is a historic train station in Tallahassee, Florida. It was built in 1858 and was served by various railways until 2005, when Amtrak suspended service due to Hurricane Katrina. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex Historic District</span> Historic district in Iowa, United States

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex is a nationally recognized historic district located in Fort Madison, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. At the time of its nomination it contained three resources, all of which are contributing buildings. The buildings were constructed over a 24-year time period, and reflect the styles that were popular when they were built. The facility currently houses a local history museum, and after renovations a portion of it was converted back to a passenger train depot for Amtrak, which opened on December 15, 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State Railroad Museum</span> United States historic place

The Georgia State Railroad Museum is a museum in Savannah, Georgia located at a historic Central of Georgia Railway site. It includes parts of the Central of Georgia Railway: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities National Historic Landmark District. The complex is considered the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States. The museum, located at 655 Louisville Road, is part of a historic district included in the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub</span> Intermodal transit center in Utah, USA

The Salt Lake City Intermodal Hub is a multi-modal transportation hub in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States served by the Blue Line of UTA's TRAX light rail system that operates in Salt Lake County and by the FrontRunner, UTA's commuter rail train that operates along the Wasatch Front with service from Ogden in central Weber County through Davis County, Salt Lake City, and Salt Lake County to Provo in central Utah County. Service at the intermodal hub is also provided by Amtrak, and Greyhound Lines, as well as UTA local bus service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duluth Depot</span> Arts and Culture Center in Minnesota, United States

The St. Louis County Depot is a historic railroad station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It was built as a union station in 1892, serving seven railroads at its peak. Rail service ceased in 1969 and the building was threatened with demolition until it reopened in 1973 as St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center . Train service also resumed from 1974 to 1985, by Amtrak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White River Junction Historic District</span> Historic district in Vermont, United States

White River Junction Historic District is a historic district in the unincorporated village of White River Junction, within the town of Hartford, Vermont. It was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, and its boundaries were increased in 2002 and 2019. It originally encompassed the central portion of the village's business district, and was then expanded to include a broader array of resources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heritage Plaza (Albany, Georgia)</span> United States historic place

Albany Railroad Depot Historic District is located at the 100 block of West Roosevelt Avenue in Albany, Georgia, United States, and is governed by the Thronateeska Heritage Center, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization incorporated in 1974 for the purpose of historic preservation and science education in Southwest Georgia. The Heritage Plaza includes the Tift Warehouse, the Union Station depot, the Railway Express Agency building and Albany's last remaining brick street and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creston station</span>

Creston station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Creston, Iowa. The station is served by the Chicago–San Francisco Bay Area California Zephyr. Constructed by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) and opened in 1899, the station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad-Creston Station. Amtrak moved to the historic station in 2019 from a small station immediately to its east that had been used since 1969. Creston station is also used by the city of Creston as a city hall and community center, known as the Creston Municipal Complex.

The Morrisville Depot located at 10 Depot Street in Morrisville, Vermont, is a decommissioned historic train station. Built in 1872 to serve the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway, the depot was known as the most important train station for the Vermont lumber industry, for its decorative architectural ornament, and for housing the headquarters of the St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad from 1959 to the early 1970s. It was subsequently converted into a restaurant. The Morrisville Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as building #15 in the Morrisville Historic District.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Amy Worden (1973). "NRHP nomination for Central Vermont Railroad Headquarters". National Park Service . Retrieved October 16, 2016. with photos from 1973