The Greenville Junction Depot Friends(GJDF) continue to work behind the scenes on fundraising activities and physical work.
GRANTS
John Contreni continues to volunteer his time writing grants that will be used for exterior building work. Recent grants are:
In April GJDF was awarded a 1772 Foundation $5,000 matching grant. This was matched and used for 2020 work done in late fall
Tea Party Lady Friends who participate in the annual Depot Tea Party which was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic contributed $3,000 towards the match.
A number of supporters are contributing through PayPal, accessed on our website greenvilledepot.org . GJDFs encourage you to make a small monthly donation; most supporters contribute $10 -$20. It adds up!
Another grant of $5,000 came from the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts in the spring of 2020
HANDS-ON
Volunteers and board members prepped the building by removing siding so that Todd Hardy Construction of Brewer could work their magic.
PROJECTS
Hardy Construction of Brewer, ME sided and skirted 2 sides of the freight shed to look as it did in original pictures. Notable features include: custom cut clapboards with 3” exposure; vertical wainscoting, and custom trim using pattern from station portion. Doors have been installed in the openings to comply with current code. These doors will be covered with freight shed sliding doors to reproduce the original look when the Depot is not in use. Greenville Junction Depot Friends (GJDF) appreciate Todd Hardy’s willingness to work with us in phases as our budget allows.
The photo above shows the current state of the depot with the new work by Todd Hardy Construction.
FUND RAISING FUN
December’s On-Line Auction: due to the pandemic this replaced the live, in-person auction usually held at the Annual Celebration. Thanks go out to the businesses and artists who contributed to the success of this event.
Pictured above is the coveted lathe art by Joy Harrington constructed with materials from the Depot. As always, Joy’s art was our top auction item.
The auction raised $4,000 for the Depot fund.
GJDF mailed a donor letter in December to new and old friends of the Depot. Response to the letter raised more than $9,000.
Notables
James and Betty Jacobs Family Charitable Trust from Bath ME. Jeff Jacobs, a member of the trust, came to the Depot several years ago as part of the motorcar brigade traveling along these tracks.
Joseph Donahue Charitable Foundation Trust has been a generous supporter of the Depot for several years. They have trusted us to make good use of their “no strings attached “ grants.
February is Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month we wish to feature a photo from our archives. The World War II soldier in the photo below was stationed in Greenville to guard the rails and bridges. If anyone has any information about the solder or the other young man in the photo, we would like to hear from you.
NEXT
Plans are in development to continue exterior work . All grant and donated monies will be applied to restoring the exterior. Work shall include: the station section under the witches cap, trackside windows, trackside siding, the traditional CPR red paint.
Spoiler Alert – Spring may bring a “Paint Party” and we shall be looking for volunteers to help paint the Depot. Get your paint brush ready.
In the meantime, we wish health and safety to all.
