(rshsdepot) Mystic, CT

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

Column from The Day.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
30 Years For Mystic Depot   

By Carol W.  Kimball     Published on  5/19/2008  

Mystic's small railroad station was a sorry  sight in 1976. Built in 1905, it 
was then a bustling hive of activity thronged  with passengers and freight. 
The new building was honored by Lionel, copied as a  model station for their 
electric train sets, but after those glory days, the  little depot was neglected 
for years. It had no working telephone, no toilet  facilities and needed new 
paint, offering little comfort to passengers arriving  at or leaving the 
village.
 
Dorothea Macbeth, merchant member of the Mystic Chamber of Commerce, saw  the 
shabby building as a community asset worth saving. She rallied civic groups  
to the cause. Interested residents formed a committee to plan a renovation,  
organizing as Mystic Depot Inc. with Louis Palmer as president. 
 
With Palmer directing fund raising and Rocco Celtruda as building committee  
chairman, local citizens in this volunteer nonprofit organization worked hard. 
 They raised $36,000; a state grant of $15,000 and a grant of $40,000 from 
Amtrak  made the restoration possible. The Mystic Garden Club, aided by the 
Bodenwein  Foundation, provided landscaping.
 
It was not easy. Work was more time-consuming and more expensive than  
expected. Opening dates had to be postponed, but eventually the job was  complete. 
The Mystic depot, with a newly paved parking lot, no longer an  eyesore, stood 
ready for service once more.
 
Marking the end of two struggling years, the refurbished station celebrated  
April 28, 1978, with a jubilant open house. Sparkling in new paint, with 
working  bathrooms and phones, the building provided for the needs of travelers and 
 offered space for other businesses as well. 
 
Dorothea Macbeth had sparked the revival and the hard work of many  
volunteers brought about the transformation. The station is managed now by the  Mystic 
Chamber of Commerce. For 30 years village residents and visitors to the  
community have enjoyed its conveniences and benefited from the  improvements.
 
Now, on the 30th anniversary of the station's renovation, the Board of  
Directors of Mystic Depot Inc. plans a public celebration, cochaired by Peter  
Stuart and Cindy Palmer. The rededication date is 10:30 a.m. Saturday, May 31,  at 
the railroad station, which will be well decorated for the occasion. 
 
A model of the 1905 Lionel train station will be on display, along with an  
exhibit of photos. Brian Rogers of Mystic Depot Inc. has kept a comprehensive  
scrapbook of clippings and records documenting the activities of the  
organization. He will present this to the Mystic River Historical Society for  
preservation in its archives. 
 
At 10:51 a.m., in an unusual feature of the celebration, an Amtrak train  
will make a special stop at the station, complete with bells and whistles. While  
the engine waits, conductors will alight from the train for the ceremony and  
will be honored with a suitable presentation. All this, and birthday cake and 
 refreshments too! The community is encouraged to attend this unique 30th  
anniversary celebration.
 
_carolkimball0647_@_yahoo.com_ (mailto:carolkimball0647@yahoo.com)   
 



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