Swampscott station

Last updated
Swampscott
Swampscott MBTA Station.JPG
The 1868-built Swampscott station in 2008
General information
Location10 Railroad Avenue
Swampscott, Massachusetts
Line(s) Eastern Route
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
Construction
Parking131 spaces ($4.00 fee)
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone3
History
Opened1836 (original station)
Rebuilt1868 (current station)
1997 (renovation)
Passengers
2018891 (weekday average boardings) [1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
Lynn
toward North Station
Newburyport/​Rockport Line Salem
toward Newburyport or Rockport
Swampscott Railroad Depot
Swampscott station
Location Swampscott, Massachusetts, USA
Coordinates 42°28′25″N70°55′21″W / 42.47361°N 70.92250°W / 42.47361; -70.92250
Built1868 [2] [3]
ArchitectCram, George W.; Eastern RR [2] [3]
Architectural style Stick/Eastlake
NRHP reference No. 98001106 [4]
Added to NRHPAugust 28, 1998

Swampscott station is a historic railroad station in Swampscott, Massachusetts. Located in the southwest portion of Swampscott near the Lynn border, it serves the MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line. The historic Stick/Eastlake-style depot building, was originally built in 1868 for the Eastern Railroad, but is no longer in use. The location still serves as an accessible MBTA Commuter Rail stop and park-and-ride location for Swampscott and adjoining Marblehead. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 as Swampscott Railroad Depot.

Contents

History

Swampscott station around 1900 Swampscott station, circa 1900.jpg
Swampscott station around 1900

The existing station building was originally built in 1868 for the Eastern Railroad; it was designed by George W. Cram, a Boston housewright. [2] [3] [5] The ticket office in the station building closed on February 22, 1952. [6]

On February 28, 1956, a southbound Salem–Boston commuter train crashed into the rear of a stopped Portsmouth–Boston local train just north of the station during a snowstorm. The collision, blamed on the engineer operating at unsafe speeds for the conditions, killed 13 people and injured 283. [7] [8] : 317 

By 1977, the station building was used by the Jaycees. [9] The structure was renovated by a group of locals in the 1980s to save it from demolition, but the work was temporary. In 1997, a town committee raised $15,000 to restore the exterior to its original condition, but no interior work was done. [10] On August 28, 1998 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [4]

In 2005, the town attempted to sell the station to a developer, but negotiations stalled in 2006. In 2010, the town again began soliciting proposals for reuse; however, the station has not received proper interior renovations, making reuse difficult. [10] A December 2012 town report advocated for mixed-use development at the station, as well as a pedestrian crossing between the platforms. [11] In 2012, Swampscott station was signed as "Stanton Station" for use in the 2013 film Grown Ups 2. [12]

Rail trail

In 2004, a town report proposed various transportation improvements, including improving pedestrian and bicycle access to the station from other areas in the town. This included the construction of a mixed-use path on the former Swampscott Branch right-of-way. [13] Service on the Swampscott Branch, which diverged just north of the station, was discontinued in 1959 as the Boston & Maine Railroad shed unprofitable branch lines. The northern section in Marblehead was previously converted to part of the Marblehead Rail Trail, which runs along the former Marblehead Branch to South Salem. In 2012, the town drafted an eminent domain claim to obtain part of the right-of-way near the station from National Grid, who was not opposed to the trail but had much stricter requirements to allow conversion. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newburyport/Rockport Line</span> Commuter rail service in Massachusetts, US

The Newburyport/Rockport Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, running northeast from downtown Boston, Massachusetts towards Cape Ann and the Merrimack Valley, serving the North Shore. The first leg, operating via the Eastern Route of the former Boston and Maine Railroad, serves Chelsea, Lynn, Swampscott, Salem, and Beverly. From there, a northern branch continues via the Eastern Route to serve Hamilton, Ipswich, Rowley, and Newburyport, while other trains operate east from Beverly via the Gloucester Branch, serving Manchester, Gloucester, and Rockport. A bicycle coach is offered on the Rockport branch during the summer. With over 11,000 daily riders in October 2022, the line is the second-busiest on the system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Station (Walpole, Massachusetts)</span> Railway station in Walpole, Massachusetts, US

Union Station, also known as Walpole station, is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Walpole, Massachusetts. It is located at the crossing of the Franklin Branch and Framingham Secondary just west of downtown Walpole. The station has one side platform on the Franklin Branch serving the Franklin/Foxboro Line service. Unlike most MBTA stations, Walpole station is not accessible.

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

Natick Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Natick, Massachusetts served by the Framingham/Worcester Line. The station, located below grade in a wide cut adjacent to North Main Street, has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. The second-busiest non-accessible station on the system, it is undergoing a major accessibility renovation and modernization from 2020 to 2024.

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

Newton Centre station is a light rail station on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located in the Newton Centre village of Newton, Massachusetts. A former commuter rail station, it was converted for light rail use and reopened on July 4, 1959, along with the rest of the line. The 1891-built station and express office are part of the Newton Railroad Stations Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Hill station</span> Railway station in Weston, Massachusetts, US

Silver Hill station is a MBTA Commuter Rail station in Weston, Massachusetts, United States. The station has a small shelter, parking area, and a gravel boarding area; it is not accessible. It was the least-used station in the entire MBTA system in 2018, with an average of just eleven daily boardings. Silver Hill station opened in 1844 as one of the original stops on the Fitchburg Railroad. The Boston and Maine Railroad unsuccessfully attempted to close the station in 1959. It remained in use until its temporary closure by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in December 2020 due to low ridership and a lack of accessibility, with indefinite closure effective April 2021. It was reopened on November 18, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attleboro station (Massachusetts)</span> Railway station in Attleboro, Massachusetts, US

Attleboro station is a commuter rail station on the MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line located in Attleboro, Massachusetts. By a 2018 count, Attleboro had 1,547 daily riders, making it the fourth busiest station on the system outside Boston.

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

Stoughton station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in downtown Stoughton, Massachusetts. It is the current terminus of the Stoughton Branch of the Providence/Stoughton Line. The station has a parking lot to serve local riders and those driving from further south, as Stoughton is close to the Massachusetts Route 24 expressway. Stoughton currently has one platform serving one track; the platform has a mini-high section for accessibility.

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

Andover station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Andover, Massachusetts. It serves the Haverhill Line. The station has one platform with a mini-high platform for handicapped accessibility serving one track, while the second track lacks a platform. The previous station building, used from 1907 to 1959, is still extant; it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as Third Railroad Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradford station</span> Train station in Bradford, Massachusetts, US

Bradford station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in the Bradford neighborhood of Haverhill, Massachusetts, served by the Haverhill Line. The Haverhill Line's layover yard is located adjacent to the station. It is temporarily the northern terminal of the Haverhill Line until mid-2025.

<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">Belmont Center station</span> Train station in Belmont, Massachusetts, US

Belmont Center station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Belmont, Massachusetts, USA. It serves the Fitchburg Line. It is situated at the intersection of Common Street, Concord Avenue, and Leonard Street adjacent to Belmont's town center. It is one of two railroad stations located in Belmont, the other being Waverley station located in Waverley Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayer station</span> Railway station in Ayer, Massachusetts, US

Ayer station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station located off Main Street in the Ayer Main Street Historic District of Ayer, Massachusetts. It serves the Fitchburg Line. There are three tracks through the station, two of which are served by a pair of low-level side platforms, which are not accessible. There is a shelter on the inbound platform.

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

Norfolk station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Norfolk, Massachusetts, served by the Franklin/Foxboro Line. The station has one platform which serves a single track, with a mini-high section for accessibility. The Norfolk County Railroad opened through the North Wrentham village of Wrentham in 1849. A branch line to Medway was open from 1852 to 1864. The station was renamed Norfolk along with the town in 1870. Several different railroads operated the line, with the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad running it for much of the 20th century. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) subsidies began in 1966, and the agency bought the line in 1973. The mini-high platform was added in 1990.

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

Wakefield station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Wakefield, Massachusetts served by the Haverhill Line. The station has two side platforms, which are not accessible, serving the line's two tracks. The station building, constructed in 1889, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 as Wakefield Upper Depot.

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

Reading station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Reading, Massachusetts. It serves the Haverhill/Reading Line. It is located at Lincoln and High Streets on the western fringe of Reading's central business district. The station's historic depot building was built in 1870 by the Boston and Maine Railroad. The station was the terminus of the line from 1959 until the re-extension to Haverhill station in 1979.

<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">Beverly Depot</span> Train station in Beverly, Massachusetts, US

Beverly Depot is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Beverly, Massachusetts. Located in Downtown Beverly, it serves the Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is the junction of the line's two branches to Newburyport and Rockport and is served by every train on both branches.

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

Hamilton/Wenham station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Hamilton and Wenham, Massachusetts. It serves the Newburyport Branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line and is located just south of the intersection of Bay Road and Walnut Road, straddling the Hamilton–Wenham town line, with the southern end of the platform geographically in Wenham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendal Green station</span> MBTA Commuter Rail station in Weston, Massachusetts

Kendal Green station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Weston, Massachusetts, US, served by the Fitchburg Line. The station has a single platform serving two tracks; it is not accessible. It originally opened with the Fitchburg Railroad in 1844 as "Weston"; it was renamed Kendal Green after the green cloth around 1886. A new station building was constructed in 1896. Service passed to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900, and to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the 1970s. The former station building, reused as a private residence, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 as a contributing property to the Kendal Green Historic District.

References

  1. ↑ Central Transportation Planning Staff (2019). "2018 Commuter Rail Counts". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.
  2. 1 2 3 "Swampscott Railroad Depot". University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth Library. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Essex National Heritage Commission (May 2005). "Swampscott Reconnaissance Report" (PDF). Essex County Landscape Inventory. Massachusetts Heritage Landscape Inventory Program. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  5. ↑ Roberts, Oliver Ayer (1895). History of the Military Company of the Massachusetts, now called the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, 1637-1888. A. Mudge and Son. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "B. and M. to Close 4 Ticket Offices". Boston Globe. February 7, 1952. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Train Crashed at 50 M.P.H., Three Say". Boston Globe. March 9, 1956. pp. 1, 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Karr, Ronald Dale (2017). The Rail Lines of Southern New England (2 ed.). Branch Line Press. ISBN   9780942147124.
  9. ↑ Henry, Alan P. (August 10, 1977). "There's no depot like an old depot". Boston Globe. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. 1 2 Glidden, Debra (28 July 2010). "Tenants show interest in Swampscott depot". The Daily Item. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  11. ↑ Metropolitan Area Planning Council (30 December 2012). "Swampscott Downtown Vision and Action Plan" (PDF). Town of Swampscott. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  12. ↑ Date, Terry (1 June 2012). "Updated: Welcome To Grown Ups 2 Movie Set "Stanton Station"". Swampscott Patch. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  13. ↑ Metropolitan Area Planning Council (2004). "Swampscott Community Development Plan" (PDF). Town of Swampscott. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 February 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
  14. ↑ Moulton, Cyrus (29 February 2012). "Eminent domain sought for section of proposed rail trail". The Daily Item. Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2014.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Swampscott station at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.