Lexington Depot

Last updated
Lexington
Lexington Depot, MA.jpg
Lexington Depot in 2010
General information
Location13 Depot Square, Lexington, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°26′55″N71°13′40″W / 42.448612°N 71.227846°W / 42.448612; -71.227846
Owned by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Line(s) Lexington Branch
Platforms1
Tracks1
Other information
Fare zone2
History
Opened1846
ClosedJanuary 10, 1977 [1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
North Lexington
toward Bedford
Lexington Branch Munroe

Lexington Depot, or Lexington station, is a former train station in Lexington, Massachusetts on the Lexington Branch.

Contents

History

The trainshed and former platform in 1984, before the Minuteman Bikeway was built on the former trackbed DETAIL VIEW SHOWING WHERE TRACKS ENTERED THE DEPOT - Lexington & West Cambridge Railroad, Lexington Depot, Depot Square, Lexington, Middlesex County, MA.tif
The trainshed and former platform in 1984, before the Minuteman Bikeway was built on the former trackbed

The station opened in 1846 as part of the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad. It was damaged by fire on November 24, 1918. [2] Although a new station was planned, the old station was instead restored in 1921–22. [3] These renovations, designed by Kilham, Hopkins & Greeley, included a cupola and colonnade. [4]

The line became part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Commuter Rail system in the 1960s, though the station building was converted to a bank by 1968. [5] In January 1977, following a major snowstorm which temporarily shut down the Lexington Branch, the MBTA announced that service on the branch would not be restored; [6] in the 1980s, the MBTA planned to extend the Red Line to Route 128 along the former path of the Lexington Branch as part of the Northwest Extension, including service to Lexington station, but fierce opposition from the residents of Arlington scuttled this plan, and the Northwest Extension was cut short to Alewife.

The building now serves as the headquarters of the Lexington Historical Society. [6] The Minuteman Bikeway runs through the former trainshed adjacent to the former station platforms. [7] Lexington and Bedford Depot are the only remaining station buildings from the Lexington Branch.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alewife station</span> Rapid transit station in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

Alewife station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) intermodal transit station in the North Cambridge neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the northwest terminal of the rapid transit Red Line and a hub for several MBTA bus routes. The station is at the confluence of the Minuteman Bikeway, Alewife Linear Park, Fitchburg Cutoff Path, and Alewife Greenway off Alewife Brook Parkway adjacent to Massachusetts Route 2, with a five-story parking garage for park and ride use. The station has three bike cages. Alewife station is named after nearby Alewife Brook Parkway and Alewife Brook, themselves named after the alewife fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porter station</span> Transit station in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

Porter station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) transit station in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It serves the Red Line rapid transit line, the MBTA Commuter Rail Fitchburg Line, and several MBTA bus lines. Located at Porter Square at the intersection of Massachusetts and Somerville Avenues, the station provides rapid transit access to northern Cambridge and the western portions of Somerville. Porter is 14 minutes from Park Street on the Red Line, and about 10 minutes from North Station on commuter rail trains. Several local MBTA bus routes also stop at the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davis station (MBTA)</span> Rapid transit station in Somerville, Massachusetts, US

Davis station is an underground Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Red Line rapid transit station located at Davis Square in Somerville, Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform for the Red Line, as well as a dedicated busway on the surface. It opened in 1984 as part of the Red Line Northwest Extension project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lechmere station</span> Light rail station in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US

Lechmere station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line light rail station in Lechmere Square in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is located on the east side of Monsignor O'Brien Highway near First Street, adjacent to the NorthPoint development. The accessible elevated station has a single island platform, with headhouses at both ends. It opened on March 21, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX). Lechmere station is served by Green Line D branch and E branch service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malden Center station</span> Transit station in Malden, Massachusetts, US

Malden Center station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) intermodal transit station in Malden, Massachusetts. Located on an elevated grade above Pleasant Street in downtown Malden, it serves the rapid transit Orange Line and the MBTA Commuter Rail Haverhill Line. The station has one island platform for the two Orange Line tracks and a single side platform for the single commuter rail track. Two busways are used by 12 MBTA bus routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sullivan Square station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Sullivan Square station is a rapid transit station on the MBTA subway Orange Line, located adjacent to Sullivan Square in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is a major transfer point for MBTA bus service, with 12 routes using a two-level busway. The station has two island platforms serving the two active Orange Line tracks plus an unused third track. The Haverhill Line and Newburyport/Rockport Line pass through the station on separate tracks but do not stop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitchburg Cutoff</span> Former rail line in Massachusetts, US

The Fitchburg Cutoff was a rail line running 2.8 miles (4.5 km) from Brighton Street in Belmont, Massachusetts, to Somerville Junction in Somerville, Massachusetts. It was constructed in two segments in 1870 and 1881 to connect the Lexington Branch and Central Massachusetts Railroad to the Boston and Lowell Railroad. Passenger service lasted until 1927. Freight service ended in 1979–80 to allow construction of the Red Line Northwest Extension; the line was abandoned in three sections in 1979, 1983, and 2007.

The Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad was a railroad company chartered in 1845 and opened in 1846 that operated in eastern Massachusetts. It and its successors provided passenger service until 1977 and freight service until 1980 or early 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Concord station</span> Rail station in Massachusetts, US

West Concord station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station located in West Concord, Massachusetts. It is served by the Fitchburg Line. The station has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks, with mini-high platforms for accessibility. The adjacent station building, now a restaurant, is not used for railroad purposes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn station</span> MBTA rail station in Lynn, Massachusetts, US

Lynn station is an intermodal transit station in downtown Lynn, Massachusetts. It is a station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line and a hub for the MBTA bus system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salem station (MBTA)</span> Rail station in Salem, Massachusetts, US

Salem station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station served by the Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station is located off Bridge Street near its interchange with North Street at the north end of downtown Salem, Massachusetts. The station has a single accessible full-length high-level platform serving the single track of the Eastern Route. Just south of the station is the Salem Tunnel, which carries the line under Washington Street. Salem is a major park and ride center, with a 700-space parking garage, as well as an MBTA bus terminal. It is the busiest commuter rail station in the MBTA system outside of the central Boston stations, with an average of 2,326 daily boardings in a 2018 count.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waverley station (MBTA)</span> Railroad station in Belmont, Massachusetts, US

Waverley station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Belmont, Massachusetts. It serves the Fitchburg Line. It is located below grade in Waverley Square in the triangle of Trapelo Road, Lexington Street, and Church Street in western Belmont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford Depot</span> Railroad depot in Bedford, Massachusetts

Bedford Depot is a historic railroad depot in Bedford, Massachusetts, United States. Bedford was the junction of the Reformatory Branch and the Lexington Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad; it saw passenger service until 1977 as the stub of the Lexington Branch. The original 1874 depot and 1877 freight house are listed on the National Register of Historic Places; along with a restored Budd Rail Diesel Car, they form the centerpieces of the Bedford Depot Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medford/Tufts station</span> Light rail station in Medford, Massachusetts, US

Medford/Tufts station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located off Boston Avenue near College Avenue in Medford, Massachusetts, adjacent to Tufts University. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX), which added two northern branches to the Green Line, and is the northern terminus of the E branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball Square station</span> Light rail station in Massachusetts, US

Ball Square station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located at Ball Square in Somerville and Medford, Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX), which added two northern branches to the Green Line, and is served by the E branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magoun Square station</span> Light rail station in Somerville, Massachusetts, US

Magoun Square station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located at Lowell Street south of Magoun Square in Somerville, Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX), which added two northern branches to the Green Line, and is served by the E branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilman Square station</span> Light rail station in Somerville, Massachusetts, US

Gilman Square station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located at Gilman Square in Somerville, Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX), which added two northern branches to the Green Line, and is served by the E branch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Somerville station</span> Light rail station in Somerville, Massachusetts, US

East Somerville station is a light rail station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line located in southeastern Somerville, Massachusetts. The accessible station has a single island platform serving the two tracks of the Medford Branch. It opened on December 12, 2022, as part of the Green Line Extension (GLX), which added two northern branches to the Green Line, and is served by the E branch.

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

Arlington station was a regional rail station in Arlington, Massachusetts. Located in downtown Arlington, it served the Lexington Branch. It was closed in January 1977 when service on the Lexington Branch was suspended.

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

Lake Street station was a commuter rail station on the Lexington Branch, located in the East Arlington section of Arlington, Massachusetts. The line opened as the Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad in 1846, with a station at Pond Street among the earliest stops. It was renamed Lake Street in 1867. The Boston and Lowell Railroad (B&L) acquired the line in 1870 and built a new station building in 1885. Service continued under the Boston and Maine Railroad (B&M) – successor to the B&L – though it declined during the 20th century. Lake Street station and three others on the line were closed in May 1958. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) began subsidizing service in 1965, and Lake Street station reopened in March 1968. All passenger service on the Lexington Branch ended on January 10, 1977; it was converted into the Minuteman Bikeway in the early 1990s.

References

  1. Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  2. "Lexington Station Damaged By Fire". Boston Globe. November 25, 1918. p. 3 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Lexington to Have a New Railroad Station". Boston Globe. December 16, 1921. p. 3 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Yearby, Jean P. (1984). "Photographs: Historical and Descriptive Data: MA-21 Lexington & West Cambridge Railroad Lexington Depot" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. National Park Service.
  5. O'Connell, Richard W. (August 18, 1968). "Old railroad depots take on new careers". Boston Globe. p. A-1 via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 "About the Lexington Branch". Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2015-06-09.
  7. Henry, Alan P. (August 10, 1977). "There's no depot like an old depot". Boston Globe. p. 3 via Newspapers.com.