Berkeley Springs station is a historic railway depot located at Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, West Virginia. The depot is a one-story, rectangular red brick building with a bell-cast, red tile roof and measures approximately 80 feet long by 20 feet wide. It features Mission Revival style details.
Berkeley Springs Train Depot | |
 Berkeley Springs Train Depot in 2020 | |
  Berkeley Springs Train Depot  Berkeley Springs Train Depot  Berkeley Springs Train Depot | |
| Location | 342 N. Washington St., Berkeley Springs, West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°37′52″N 78°13′28″W / 39.63111°N 78.22444°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00001313[1] |
| Added to NRHP | March 23, 2001 |
History
editIt was built in 1915 by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. At its peak in the 1920s and 1930s the railroad spur was used for shipping produce and pulpwood.[2] It ceased use as a passenger depot in 1935.[3] Up until the 1990s, the town's administrative office, municipal court and police department were housed in the depot. After that it was used as a music shop and art gallery, among other things.[2] It is located within the Town of Bath Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as the Berkeley Springs Train Depot.[1] It is owned by the Town of Bath along with the adjoining 2.1 acres acquired from CSX.[2]
Rehabilitation
editA group of volunteers organized in 2008 to rehabilitate the depot. In 2009 and 2010, the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and the Governor's Office of Economic Development provided a grant to the town for initial work to repair the roof and in 2010, the WV Eastern Panhandle Regional Planning and Development Council awarded the town a $32,000 West Virginia Energy Efficiency & Conservation Grant to pay some of the cost of installation and replacement of the HVAC system and insulation. That year, extensive carpentry repair of the roof sheathing was performed and during the summer, most of the historic roof tiles were removed and stored for incorporating into a roof rehabilitation.[2] Then, in 2011, the depot was issued a Federal Highway Administration Transportation Enhancement grant to refurbish the distinctive tile roof, restore the interior to its 1915-era look and rehabilitate some of the surrounding land.[4] Work on the first phase of the rehabilitation, dealing with the exterior and the roof, begin in April 2015.[5] The tiles that were removed and those that were missing were an exact match to those from 100 years ago.[2] In 2016, the Town received a federal Transportation Alternatives grant toward design of the interior restoration; hazardous material remediation; waterproofing of the structure's cellar; electrical-system and plumbing upgrades; and design of a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system.[6]
Suggested uses of the structure include a welcome center for the state, county and town or a local museum that focuses on the railroading history of the town.
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Strader, Tricia Lynn (23 March 2015). "Train depot's rehab building steam". Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ Jacqueline Hovermale (August 2000). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Berkeley Springs Train Depot" (PDF). State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
- ^ John McVey (November 16, 2011). "Berkeley Springs train depot gets grant". The Journal. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
- ^ Ford, Codi. "Train Depot work has begun!". Archived from the original on 12 August 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
- ^ Umstead, Matthew (18 May 2016). "Martinsburg, Town of Bath net transportation grants". Retrieved 1 July 2016.