The Eave Reconstruction Campaign was a stunning success with the Greenville Junction Depot Friends raising over $10,000 to re-construct the eaves on our historic depot.
Now we are on to the next task which could be re-shingling the witches hat.
Have an idea for what our next campaign should be?
Send us an email and let us hear your idea!
Site Work:
Because the depot will now remain in place, it will still be located along an active rail line, the Central Maine and Quebec Railway. Therefore and as part of our lease we need to build a fence between the depot and the tracks. We also need to designate parking, address safety and access concerns as well as electricity, sanitation, and security. Our site plan is a work in progress. Maybe you have some ideas and want to help? Part of Saving the Depot is making sure that is is a viable part of the community, now and in the future.
Interior Restoration:
The depot has a great history as the depot on Moosehead Lake. It served this section of track as not just a passenger depot but a freight depot, section house, maintenance shed, operator facility, agent office, and storage facility. From the plush designs of the Ladies Waiting Room to the spartan Freight Shed, the depot is completely unique as a railroad structure in the United States. Constructed at the same time as the rail line, it is an original railroad structure. Original structures are incredibly rare as most stations and railroad facilities have been replaced or upgraded at least once in their lifetime. The depot however, has not been altered greatly since it’s original construction. It is a true window to the past and no place is this more evident than the interiors of the structure.
The interior floorplan is mostly open with some great “nooks and crannys”. Repurposed as a community center it will be ideal for all types of gathering and meetings.
The Operators Station in the 1970’s
More Interior Photos:
Exterior Restoration:
Until we began our work of saving the depot, it had received little or no maintenance for almost 30 years. The results are visible throughout the structure but are strongly pronounced on the exterior where the harsh Maine Winter and wet Maine Summer have been particularly abusive. The depot obviously needs paint but it also needs to have many wooden surfaces replaced or restored.
Our initial focus is on the ladies waiting room portion of the building under the “Witches Hat” structure. We have already restored the eaves including the curve that was carved off of the building in the 60’s. There is still a great deal of work left to do including: windows, fixtures, wood repair, surface preparation, and painting.
The photo above shows the depot in her prime looking level, trim, painted, and cared for. As a new community building in Greenville, we hope to keep her in this condition for at least another 125 years.
More exterior photos:
