This may perhaps appear like a relatively unremarkable cluttered picture not truly worth significantly of your time. But the real story is in that yellow constructing at appropriate. It is one of the oldest surviving railroad stations in the region and most likely next only to the Chester depot in age right here alongside the old Boston and Albany Route. Developed in 1847 only 8 many years right after the Western Railroad arrived in city it was replaced by a bigger Richardsonian design and style stone structure for which the B&A is regarded in 1884 (and it way too survives just a couple hundred yards at the rear of me to the east). Both equally depots are now component of the West Brookfield Middle Historic District and have been included to the National Sign up of Historic Spots in 2006.
As explained in the NHRP nominating document: The 1847 Gothic Revival design and style Western Railroad Passenger Depot is a a person-tale, wood frame, gable-roofed constructing 8 bays lengthy and a few bays wide, and is sheathed in board and batten siding. It has the minimal-pitched roof and broad overhanging eaves characteristic of railroad buildings of the mid-19th century period. The projecting roof is supported along the sides of the creating on iron brackets that spring from the tops of the paneled pilasters articulating the eight bays. The most noteworthy element of the constructing is the richly thorough Gothic-arched portico on the west gable close. A matching portico on the east stop has been taken out. The current operator says that it no lengthier existed when he bought the setting up in the late 1960s. Photographs taken in the early 20th century demonstrate the ornamental east finish with the portico however in location but with a compact 1-story addition projecting from it. That addition still stands. Gothic-style specifics contain rectangular labeled window and door caps, trefoil-motif doorway panels, and upper window sash with trefoil-formed tops. Other Gothic features include paneled corner boards, low-reduction spherical panels on the portico trimmed with a quatrefoil motif, and lacelike floral-motif iron brackets underneath the eaves on the extended sides. Slender iron posts on the present portico occupy the areas of what ought to at first have been Gothic clustered colonnettes. The existing posts had been by now in put when the present operator bought the developing in the late 1960s.
The interior of the previous station was altered when the building was moved to its present location in 1884 and transformed to use as a grain warehouse. At that time, grain storage areas were being designed in the previous waiting around place and in the ladies’ parlor, which experienced earlier been furnished with Brussels carpet and mahogany furniture. Authentic plaster and plaster ornament, which is reported to have been an important attractive attribute, was remaining in area. Some or all of the plaster survived till it was removed throughout 1970s interior alterations to the creating. These days the important section of the interior is a large unfinished open up room. Interior walls that at the time made a ladies’ parlor, waiting area, and dining place in this place no for a longer period exist. The surviving walls around the perimeter of the interior are coated with wood lath from which the plaster has been taken out. Roof trusses, stiffened with wooden bracing, can be observed above in which both of those the lath and plaster that at the time developed ceilings to interior rooms have been removed. The floor, dating from 1972, is of concrete. Elegant evidence of the unique interior survives in the hefty, moulded inside window and doorway frames, paneling beneath some windows, unique doorways, and higher window sash with trefoil tops. Most of the interior woodwork has not been repainted, so traces of the initial wood grained end are nonetheless seen on window and door frames and paneling.
It is really incomprehensible to feel of the sheer range and wide variety of trains that have handed this unassuming construction for the past 174 many years. And right here is still another in the kind of CSXT train Q436 (Selkirk to Worcester manifest) passing listed here at MP 69.6 on the modern-day working day Boston Subdivision. Sadly the modern day conversation bungalow has obstructed the photo angle considerably and tree developed would make shooting the additional ornate west close of the building difficult but however this is even now a worthy place to check out and doc.
West Brookfield, Massachusetts
Monday June 7, 2021
Posted by Dave Blaze Rail Pictures on 2021-06-18 13:15:23
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