Windsor, Vermont: Depot Area brochure

A one-sheet brochure featuring the Depot Area in Windsor, Vermont. From the brochure: "Windsor residents greeted the first Vermont Central Railroad trains to arrive at their new station on January 31, 1849, with bells, cannons, and town-wide celebrations that lasted until noon the next day. The town served as the main railroad junction until 1895, when it moved north to White River Junction. The original station, a large, frame structure, was built on the east side of the tracks around 1847 in anticipation of the coming rail line. It operated as a foundry for the Cone Automatic Machine Company from 1925 until it was demolished around 1950. An early frame, freight depot still stands on the west side of the tracks north of Depot Street. Built in 1850, it is one of the last surviving first-generation Vermont Central Railroad buildings. In 1901 the company, by then called the Central Vermont Railroad, built a second railway station, which stands in front of you. Its Romanesque Revival style, with deep roof overhangs to shelter the platforms, and large, arched windows to bring natural light to the interior, was a popular choice for railway stations. The building had electric lights and separate waiting rooms for men and women. It ceased operation as a station in 1960 and is now a restaurant, although Amtrak trains stop here twice daily. At the peak of rail travel from the mid 1800s to early 1900s, this area was packed with small businesses, many serving related traffic and trade. The dense cluster of wooden and brick buildings housed the Windsor Gas and Light Company, a carriage shop and livery stable, machine tool shops, tin shops, blacksmiths, and paint shops. Warehouses developed around small alleys and courtyards. Two surviving Windsor Machine Products buildings retain this configuration, one the frame warehouse (circa 1860) that is now the Windsor Waypoint Center, the other a brick manufacturing building (circa 1920) to its left." Funding for this item was provided in part through a 2007 Preserve America grant to the Town of Windsor, Vermont (grant number 50-07-PA-3038) for the project Welcome to Windsor. The grant was administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Preserve America is a federal initiative that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the program include a greater shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthened regional identities and local pride, increased local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

Windsor, Vermont: Depot Area brochure

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