Volunteer Railroaders Association News

Hawthorne Station Update

Jun 23 2010

VRAFebruary 2010, Hawthorne Station, News 2010, Newsletters Comments Off

(KC Smith) It is indeed my pleasure to report that we have come to an agreement with the NYS&W on the lease details for Hawthorne Station. As I write this we are preparing the final building permits that will allow us to start the work needed to move the station off the corner and save it for many generations to come to enjoy.

The first order of business is to have a new foundation dug and built. The new home of the station will feature a full basement, giving us the much needed room we need to store the many items that we have. Once that is done the building will be moved, but not before we remove or secure the many artifact we have inside the station. A few days of work parties
will be announced on the Yahoo Group, so be sure to watch your e-mail.

Once moved a small addition will need to be constructed on the back of the building to house the new stairs going down into the basement. Plus all the stuff we took out will have to be put back. And then the exterior work will begin including new paint, roof, windows and of course the construction of the park on the land currently occupied by the station.

This will certainly be the biggest single project we have ever undertaken and it will take a lot of hard work and dedication from all of us to make Once we are done the station will certainly be the centerpiece of the downtown area and will be a lasting example of what the VRA can do. Be sure to volunteer to help make this dream a reality.

There is an update to report since this story was originally written. Nathan Feno, president of the NYS&W, has signed and returned the lease to us. We can now begin to move forward on this project. A meeting was held on May 3rd to start planning the move. Several people volunteered for key jobs, such as over sight and planning of the park where the station currently sits and the coordination of press releases and public relations. Full details will be given at the meeting on the 20th.