(rshsdepot) Oak Hill, WV

[I95BERNIEW_@_aol.com]

From the Fayette Tribune.
 
Bernie Wagenblast
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
Years of hard work lead to grand opening
 
By Susan M. Stover
For The Tribune
 
After eight long years of work, the White Oak Chapter of the National  
Railroad Historical Society is proud to announce the opening of the White Oak  
Railway Depot, located at the corner of Virginia Street and Central Avenue, Oak  
Hill, as a permanent railroad museum dedicated to the preservation of the heyday 
 of freight moving on the high iron. A grand opening ceremony will be held  
Saturday, Aug. 23 at 11 a.m. in conjunction with the Oak Leaf Festival Depot  
Days Train Show held in the nearby Lewis Community Foundation’s Christian  
Community Center.
 
One of the highlights of the open house will be a fully-functional railway  
handcar that will be available for rides during the weekend. Chapter President  
Anthony Cole and Vice President W. Ray Murdock III would like to challenge 
Oak  Hill Mayor Bill Hannabass, City Manager Tom Oxley and members of the town  
council to a handcar race on Saturday morning following the ribbon-cutting  
ceremony.
 
The Victorian-style depot was built by the White Oak Railway Co. in 1903 as  
a freight and passenger station serving Oak Hill and the surrounding area. The 
 building, a typical example of small town, turn-of-the-century railroad 
station  architecture, has a large freight room, as well as a small passenger area 
which  also doubles as the office of the station manager.
 
Many area businesses, including Southern States, Mankin Lumber Co. and  Lowe’
s of Oak Hill, have received freight at this location through the years of  
the depot’s operation. Herbert and Charlie Jones of Lundale Farm remember an  
early airplane once coming in on rail to the depot that was then unloaded and  
pulled up Virginia Street and Jones Avenue to their farm, before it was flown  
off the top of their highest hill to view the town of Oak Hill.
 
All manners of freight, including grain, boxes, trunks and explosives, has  
been unloaded and housed in the freight room over the many years of operation.  
Late chapter member Carolyn Hill wrote in an article in The Fayette Tribune 
on  Dec. 2, 2002: “Immense fortunes (of coal) rolled over those tracks for 
nearly  six decades. Cars were heavily laden with tons of sought-after bituminous 
coal  of the highest quality. Every car was listed at the depot by the station 
 dispatcher as they lumbered through town on their way to worldwide  markets.”
 
The depot, along with the entire rail system of the White Oak Railway Co.,  
was leased in 1912 by the Virginian and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railways and  
then bought by the Virginian in 1917, with joint operation rights going to the  
C&O Railway as well. In 1959, the Virginian was merged with the forerunner  
of the Norfolk Southern, the Norfolk Western Railway.
 
On April 12, 1983, Norfolk Southern Corp. closed a long chapter in the  
history of the City of Oak Hill when they locked the doors on the oldest public  
building still standing in the city and the last remaining Virginian Railway  
depot left in West Virginia. Norfolk Southern did redeem itself in 1995,  
however, by donating the depot property to the city.
 
The White Oak Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society was  
chartered April 14, 1996, as a non-profit West Virginia corporation and obtained  a 
lease for the depot and surrounding property from the city with the objectives 
 which include:
 
- - Preserving historical materials of railway transportation;
 
- - Acquiring the depot as a museum; and
 
- - Raising funds for the restoration of the depot structure while seeking  
donations and items related to railway history.
 
After countless hours of labor by members past and present, these goals  will 
become a reality during the 10th Annual Oak Leaf Festival.
 
As part of the Depot Days, the depot will be open Saturday, Aug. 23, from  10 
a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday, 1 until 5 p.m. The White Oak Chapter is making  
arrangements for the membership to have the museum open at least one weekend 
per  month, but private tours may be arranged anytime by calling any of the 
chapter  officers: President Anthony Cole at 304-741-5737; Vice President W. Ray 
Murdock  III at 304-574-8309; Secretary Susan Stover at 304-469-6994; 
Treasurer Paula  Murdock at 304-465-3182; or National Director W. Ray Murdock IV at 
304-465-3182.  Chapter meetings are also held at the depot on the second Monday 
night of each  month at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to either come join the 
organization or just  look at the fruits of their labors.
 
The chapter also is actively seeking more railroad and depot  freight-related 
items to add to the displays. Anyone having any such items that  they would 
like to loan to the museum can contact one of the officers above or  drop an 
e-mail to _www.whiteoaknrhs_@_yahoo.com_ (http://www.whiteoaknrhs@yahoo.com) .
 
Cole would like to thank Oak Hill City Manager Tom Oxley for his work with  
this project over the past several years, as well as Mayors Barbara Hickman and 
 Bill Hannabass, along with city council members past and present. He also 
wishes  to thank all the past and present members of the White Oak Chapter for 
all they  have done to make this grand opening a reality.



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