(rshsdepot) Marlinton, WV - Depot to be rebuilt

["J. Henry Priebe Jr." <root_@_bluemoon.net>]

Good news, even if it is a few weeks old.

Article with photo:
http://www.pocahontastimes.com/index.php?id=153

Henry

J. Henry Priebe Jr.    Blue Moon Internet Corp Network Administrator
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Thursday April 24, 2008 
Depot organization votes to rebuild

Drew Tanner
Staff Writer

[photo]
MEMBERS OF MARLINTON Railroad Depot, Inc., believe part of this north section
of the building can be used in the reconstruction. D. Tanner, photo


In the wake of the fire that destroyed Marlinton.s historic Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad depot March 28, the non-profit organization that cared for the
building voted last Thursday to resurrect the charred structure.

The meeting of Marlinton Railroad Depot, Inc. drew representatives from the
Convention and Visitors Bureau, whose offices were housed in the depot, as
well as local business owners, the Town of Marlinton and area residents.

To remove the remains of the depot and reconstruct the building as it was will
take some time, however, said depot board member Joe Smith, who estimated that
next summer might be the earliest it would be completed.

.We would like to salvage everything we can that is salvageable from the
original depot,. said Smith. .There.s very little that we believe is
salvageable but the north end.the up-track end.could possibly be salvaged and
reused to say .this was part of the original depot...

On the north end of the building, gingerbread gable trim remains, as well as
several charred boards that have the potential to be re-milled, said Smith.

.It.s very possible that the foundation could be reused,. he added. .It was
built out of railroad ties..

Quotes for removing the rest of the building range between $2995 and $5000,
said Smith. The board has also written letters to the Town of Marlinton and
Solid Waste authority, asking for waivers of any fees associated with the
demolition and disposal of the building.s remains.

Consulting with contractors, Smith estimated that between 50 and 75 tons of
debris remained at the site.

As for the reconstruction, Smith said he has heard overwhelming support for
rebuilding the depot from the community.

.The whole thing right now is money,. said Smith. .It is not going to be a
cheap proposition to rebuild that depot..

Depot treasurer Bill McNeel outlined a detailed estimate provided by Chapman
Technological Group. Just weeks before the depot burned, Chapman had done
extensive preliminary work and documentation of the building in connection
with a scenic byways grant that would have gone toward replacing the roof.

The total price-tag estimated by the firm, from the removal and disposal of
debris to completed construction, including administrative costs, totaled
$391,750.

While the figure is large, McNeel said the board was on its way to coming up
with the funds to rebuild.

The organization has $33,963 on hand, said McNeel, though he recommended that
the board set aside $25,000 for future maintenance and other depot expenses.
Insurance on the building totaled $106,500, McNeel continued, bringing the
total of what the organization has to put toward the project at present at
$115,463. 

Marlinton Railroad Depot, Inc., would still need to raise about $276,000, said
McNeel.

The depot group had also received $850 in individual contributions, and depot
board members John and Robin Mutscheller pledged another $1,000 toward the
project that evening.

While Smith said he wanted to see the reconstruction completed by next summer,
he said he did not want the project to begin until the organization had 80
percent of the funding in hand.

Fundraising suggestions given by those at Thursday.s meeting ranged from a
county-wide effort to collect aluminum cans to soliciting contributions and
assistance from state politicians.

Robin Mutscheller volunteered to set up a website with information on how to
contribute to the reconstruction fund.

In its vote to rebuild, the organization said it will rebuild the depot as
close to its original appearance as possible.

Leslie Cain, speaking for the board of the Convention and Visitors Bureau,
said that if the building is reconstructed to its original dimensions.roughly
1,250 square feet.it may be too small for the CVB to return. 

.We don.t know that we can go back in that building,. said Cain, who also sits
on the depot board. .We need more room. We.ll have to consider something else.
We can.t guarantee that we.ll go back in there at that square footage..

If the CVB does not return to the building, the depot could lose its only
source of income for maintenance and repairs: the $6,000 it received in rent
each year from the tourism office.

Smith said he was optimistic the CVB and the depot organization could come to
an agreement to at least have a visitor information center in the depot once
it.s rebuilt.

Should talks with the CVB fall through, Marlinton resident Jay Perry
volunteered to contribute the monthly rent payment himself.

Depot board members said they were well aware that the depot was getting
cramped for the CVB, but said they felt they had to reconstruct the building
as it stood originally.

.I personally think we need to build it back the way it was,. said McNeel.
.That.s our obligation. We were given the responsibility of protecting and
preserving the structure. I think if we.re going to do something tonight, we
have no choice but to put it back the way it was..

Others said they felt the reconstruction was more likely to attract grant
funding if it was directed toward creating an accurate replica of the original
depot.

.Among everybody I.ve talked to about the depot and asked .what do you think
should be done,. not one person said don.t build it, and nobody said anything
other than .reconstruct it the way it was,.. said Mutscheller.

The board also voted to allow its executive committee to continue handling the
day-to-day details of the reconstruction as long as it provides regular
reports to the rest of the board on its progress. The committee will also
continue working with Chapman until the company performs an onsite inspection
of the site. The board will decide at a later date whether to continue working
with Chapman on the project. John Mutscheller and Cain were selected to serve
on the board.s fundraising committee.

Contributions to the reconstruction fund may be addressed to Marlinton
Railroad Depot, Inc., P.O. Box 63, Marlinton, WV.

The website, which will be www.rebuildthedepot.org is excpected to be up and
running later this week.



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End of RSHSDepot Digest V1 #1726
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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org