(rshsdepot) Mystic, CT

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From today's edition of The Day.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
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Mystic Depot Celebrates 30 Years 

By Carol W.  Kimball

Just 30 years ago, in 1976, Mystic Depot sat deserted and forlorn  by the 
railroad tracks, empty and badly in need of paint. It had little to offer  to 
tourists attracted by the Seaport and the aquarium or to residents waiting  for 
trains. It had no working telephone, no toilet facilities and its shabby  
waiting room was often closed. Built in 1905, the third depot on the site, it  was 
hard to believe that this station had been chosen by Lionel as a model for  
their popular electric train sets.

Time was when projecting roofs sheltered the platform on both sides of  the 
building. The 1938 hurricane removed those, and wear and tear through the  
years reduced the structure's charm. Even its ownership was in doubt, buried in  a 
mass of red tape. Apparently Amtrak had purchased the station from the  
bankrupt Penn Central Railroad, but some claimed it was actually owned by Con  
Rail, the Consolidated Railroad Corp.
 
That's how things were in August 1976 when a few courageous local citizens  
decided that the little building was a community asset worth saving. Dorothea  
Macbeth, a local merchant member of the Chamber of Commerce, thought it would  
make wonderful office for the chamber. Others hoped it might be in line for a 
 grant from Amtrak, part of $155 million the corporation had set aside for 
the  renovation of existing stations. 
 
In October, at the behest of state Rep. Rufus Allyn, then-U.S. Rep. Chris  
Dodd inspected the station, deploring its rundown condition. He offered to  
contact railroad officials. Within two weeks Dot Macbeth had arranged a meeting  
with Amtrak. Community interest was aroused and with the new year of 1977 Bob  
Valenti of the chamber announced a committee to form plans for renovation. 
When  representatives of various civic groups met at St. Patrick's, Louis B. 
Palmer, a  railroad buff, offered to lend a helping hand by directing fund-raising 
and  Stephen Lee agreed to evaluate the structure to obtain an estimate of 
the costs  involved. His estimate came to $70,000, including paving the parking 
lot, a new  roof and new plumbing. 
 
In March the group incorporated under the name of Mystic Depot Inc., with  
attorney Peter Stuart preparing the documents. A month later Rocco Celtruda  
presented a plan to seek $40,000 from Amtrak, raising the additional money from  
local contributions. Macbeth hand carried the request to Amtrak at 
Philadelphia.  Good news came May 20. Amtrak promised $40,000. The campaign for $30,000 
in  local funds began July 2, designated as “Depot Day.” While the Noank 
Community  Band played, a large steam engine gauge was unveiled to mark progress of 
the  financial campaign. Engineers' caps and booster buttons were sold.
 
With money available and with the Robert Ayer Engineered Building Inc. in  
charge, ground was broken Sept. 2. Celtruda, the building committee chairman,  
hoped the work would be finished by Dec. 1. They were cheered by the success of 
 the local financial drive, which raised $36,000, exceeding their goal by 20  
percent. However, there were many disappointments along the way. Opening was  
delayed, for the work was more time consuming than expected, and also proved 
to  be more expensive, exceeding funds available.
 
Louis Palmer was elected president of Mystic Depot in January 1978, and  
Macbeth, who had sparked the revival, was honored with a silver plaque for  
developing the idea. The work was finally completed in the spring, with a  
fortuitous state grant for $15,000 that cleared up the deficit. The refurbished  
station was celebrated at an open house April 28. “It was the end of a long  
struggle,” said Palmer.
 
The community was proud of the finished station, resplendent in new paint  
with a newly paved parking lot to accommodate cars waiting for trains and a  
nicely decorated waiting room for passengers. The place was no longer an  
eyesore. In fact, Mystic Depot was a model for the east coast, the first  restoration 
completed under an Amtrak grant. Thirteen stations had received  these 
grants, but Mystic was the first to carry through. The depot was ready to  serve the 
public. Finishing touches came with Operation Landscape, providing  plantings 
under the guidance of the Mystic Garden Club with financial help from  the 
Bodenwein Foundation and individual contributions. 
 
June 28, 2001, marked the opening of Mystic Depot as a Welcome Center,  
staffed by the Chamber of Commerce to provide information to travelers about  
community attractions. For 30 years the painstaking and time-consuming work done  
by the original group has been enjoyed by the community. The tortuous history  
has been carefully preserved in a scrap book kept by Brian Rogers, one of the  
members of Mystic Depot Inc.
 
But we can't sit smugly back, resting on our laurels. It's not all over.  
Billie Palmer, present chairman of Mystic Depot Inc., is looking to the future.  
And in the near future the station will need painting. A new campaign to 
finance  this painting will start soon. Be prepared to do your part to preserve 
this  community asset.
 
_carolkimball0647_@_sbcglobal.net_ (mailto:carolkimball0647@sbcglobal.net) 

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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1460
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org