Train Depot Alderson West Virginia

Station History... more

by Kerri Farley

Title

Train Depot Alderson West Virginia

Artist

Kerri Farley

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Station History

Alderson is a flag stop on the route of the Cardinal; it consists of a platform and shelter adjacent to the historic depot. If there is a reservation for a passenger boarding or detraining at Alderson, the train will stop; if not, it simply continues through. Amtrak began serving the community on April 29, 1979.

The depot was originally built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1896. The one-story wood frame structure is typical of a standard station built on the C&O system between 1890 and 1914. It features board and batten walls, decorative brackets, fancy stick work on the gable ends and deep eaves to protect passengers from inclement weather as they wait outside. The railroad enlarged the structure in 1924.

Between 2001 and 2004, the station was closed and the stop removed from Amtrak timetables. During this time, the station underwent many minor renovations; most significantly, it was repainted from white to orange. The building is included in the National Register Alderson Historic District.

Alderson is named after its founder, John Alderson, a Baptist frontier missionary. He organized the first Baptist church in Greenbrier County in 1781, which eventually became Alderson Broaddus College in Phillippi, W. Va. By 1877, express shipments of freight through Alderson were the largest in all of West Virginia with the exception of Charleston and Huntington. Large livestock shipment facilities had been constructed in 1876 and by the 1880s, thousands of sheep and head of cattle were going through per shipment. A side track was constructed for freight loading in 1882, and by 1904, there were 14 freight sidings in Alderson. The freight depot was demolished in the 1950�s, by which time business through the yard had declined.

The city of Alderson has almost completely transitioned from its history as a railroad town and is now largely a residential community. The retail center is located in the downtown area in the heart of the historic district. Recently, the city has seen a boom in real estate, as many people move to the area for its scenic views and impressively maintained historic homes.

Alderson is also home to the historic Federal Reformatory for Women, now known as the Federal Prison Camp at Alderson. In 1927, this was the first correctional institution for women in the United States. During its long history, it has been home to many famous�and infamous�women. Both Martha Stewart, convicted for obstruction of justice, and Billie Holiday, convicted of possession of narcotics, have served terms there. The prison has usually housed those convicted of non-violent and white collar crimes, and is composed of many separate buildings and cottages in a fence-less compound. The prison serves as the city�s largest employer.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing or baggage services at this station, which is served by the tri-weekly Cardinal (Westbound: Sunday, Wednesday, Friday; Eastbound: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday).

Uploaded

August 2nd, 2015