Depot News – Winter 2021
WINTER 2021
The Greenville Junction Depot Friends (GJDF) continue to work behind the scenes on fundraising activities and physical work.
GRANTS
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John Contreni continues to volunteer his time writing grants that will be used for exterior building work. Recent grants are:
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In April GJDF was awarded a 1772 Foundation $5,000 matching grant. This was matched and used for 2020 work done in late fall
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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.
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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!
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Another grant of $5,000 came from the Massachusetts Bay Railroad Enthusiasts in the spring of 2020
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HANDS-ON
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Volunteers and board members prepped the building by removing siding so that Todd Hardy Construction of Brewer could work their magic.
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PROJECTS
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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.
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FUND RAISING FUN
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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.
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The auction raised $4,000 for the Depot fund.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
The Great Freight Shed Fix-Up
TAKING SHAPE!!!
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.
Stop by and see the progress for yourself the next time you are passing through.
Greenville Junction Depot Friends (GJDF) appreciate Todd Hardy’s willingness to work with us in phases as our budget allows..
With the great success of our New Roof Campaign we are moving ahead to the next exciting phase: The Exterior!!!!
We are beginning with the freight shed side of the building. Clapboards, paint, doors, and windows on the lake side. We’ve done the heavy lifting to stabilize, level and weather-proof the building. Now for the fun stuff! Each part of our exterior restoration will show on the outside. Imagine driving by the depot, seeing her painted, trim, and bright and knowing that you had a piece in preserving this historic structure and beautifying downtown Greenville Junction. Our depot is one of the oldest original railroad structures in the United States. Help us preserve it for generations to come! Donate to the Great Freight Shed Fix-Up today!
We don’t have long to raise all the money we need to keep the restoration on-track. Donate Today!
The NEW Depot Roof is Complete!
We are proud to announce that after an amazing fundraising campaign and a lot of hard work in 2019 the Greenville Junction Depot received it’s new Roof!
It wasn’t easy. As the old roofing was removed it became apparent that the underlayment was not in good enough condition to support the new roofing and had to be replaced and reinforced.
The roof at the depot was in sorry shape. Much worse than expected. After removing 3 layers of roofing, the boards were all rotten after 130 years of sheltering the building. We had events coming! Water was getting in! We had to do something quick! The Greenville Junction Depot Friends mobilized and was able to come up with the funds to cover the unexpected costs and by the end of Summer, we had a brand new roof! For the first time in a long time the depot is adequately protected from the harsh elements of the Moosehead Lake Region!
The intricacies of this work, especially on the Witches Hat of the Ladies Waiting Room are apparent here.
The Depot is a surprisingly large structure.
Shown here finishing up the shingling of the Witches Hat.
Paul of Dovetail Bats holds the 2 finials. One done at his business and one by Bob Stetson.
Our thanks to both men and to Roofing Systems of Maine and Todd Harding Carpentry.
Isn’t she pretty?!!