(rshsdepot) Southport, CT

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From the Connecticut Post.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Southport Railroad Station repairs on track
 
GENEVIEVE REILLY  (mailto:) 
Article Last Updated: 05/11/2008 11:29:28 PM  EDT




FAIRFIELD — Repairs to the fire-ravaged  Southport Railroad Station are on 
track.  
The Station Street depot on the westbound side of the tracks was heavily  
damaged by a suspicious fire Jan. 3, and since then a temporary waiting room and  
restrooms have been installed for rail passengers.  
"They are finalizing the design and layout," First Selectman Kenneth Flatto  
said, adding that the restored structure will closely resemble the original  
building, right down to the location of the ticket booth.  
Local officials are working with the state Department of Transportation,  
which owns the structure and is footing the repair bill. The contractor is  
Banton Construction.  
"It's really kind of exciting," Flatto said. "It's very much true to what was 
 there originally."  
The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  
"Things are going pretty smoothly," Public Works Director Richard White said. 
 "The state has been down a couple of times to meet with us."  
Right now, he said, the contractor has been replacing fire-damaged wood,  
"basically, stabilizing the building."  
It is hoped, White said, that the new building will be ready by the first of  
next year.  
"It's a nice project," he said. "They've really done a good job."  
Ellen Gould, chairwoman of the Historic District Commission, concurs.  
"The state is doing a tremendous job," she said. "They're trying to satisfy  
everyone's needs and they are very sensitive to the different community  
organizations that are involved." 

 
The finished product, Gould said, "is going to be better than ever."  
The fire forced the relocation not only of commuters, but also of Art/Place  
gallery, which occupied part of the structure. Gallery officials were planning 
 its 25th anniversary when the fire struck.  
While firefighters were able to save the exhibit on display, the gallery  
itself was lost.  
Officials of the gallery turned to the nearby Pequot Library for alternate  
space. The library will host two exhibits. The first is running through June 
16.   
"The artists at Art/Place are our neighbors," Pequot Library Executive  
Director Daniel Snydacker said. "We are delighted that we could help them in  their 
time of need after the fire."



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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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