Most of the stations along the Piedmont Sub have long since
passed into oblivion. This page highlights the ones still standing. I’ve
been surprised to find as many as I have still in existence, but what’s
been done to some of them breaks my heart.
Richmond
Main Street Station was a union station built to serve the C&O
and the SAL. It opened on November 27, 1901. The French
Renaissance-style station was the transportation focal point of
Richmond for 50 years. The SAL moved to Broad Street Station in
1959. Amtrak closed Main Street Station in October 15, 1975
after it was badly damaged in the James River floods of 1969 and
1972. A developer bought the station in 1983 with plans to turn it
into a mall. Disaster struck shortly thereafter when a fire
destroyed the roof. It was restored and the mall opened in 1985.
The venture was not successful, however, and the mall soon closed.
In 1990, the Virginia Department of Health opened offices in the
station. There is (was?) a plan to use Main Street Station as a
stop on a commuter rail line. (1974, LaVerne Brummel photo, used with permission)
Ashcake
The C&O built this little passenger shelter in May of 1943 to replace
the passenger station at Ashcake. The shed was itself removed sometime
after 1963 and stands alongside a road about ½ mile from its original
location. (November 2001 photo)
Hanover
This is Hanover Station as it appears today. According to Jack Bruce
a former member of the Hanover County Board of Supervisors dismantled the
depot and reconstructed it as his home about a mile from its former
location. (November 2001 photo)
Doswell
The C&O and the RF&P maintained a joint passenger station at
Doswell, where the two lines crossed. The original depot was
destroyed during the Civil War and was replaced by a temporary
building and water station. In 1870 a permanent station was built
that was itself replaced in 1907. The 1907 station burned twenty
years later and was replaced by this red brick, Georgian style
building. Doswell station is currently in use by CSX as offices.
(1998 photo)
North Anna
This passenger shelter was moved from its location sometime after 1963. It is
now in use as a storage shed on a nearby farm. (2002 photo)
Noel
This passenger shelter was moved from its location sometime after 1963. It is
now in use as a storage shed on a nearby farm. (2002 photo)
Holliday
This is the waiting shelter that used to stand in Holliday. It has been moved
a short distance from its original location and the front was closed in. To the
best of my knowledge, this is the only existing example of the C&O’s
standard shelter (see the Chickahominy page
for a photo of one in service). Hundreds of these small shelters were built to
replace stations as passenger levels on the C&O declined. (2002 photo)
Beaver Dam
This brick station was built in 1866 on the site of earlier
stations destroyed in the Civil War. The town bought and restored the
station in the mid-1980’s. This photo shows the Beaver Dam station
as it appears today. It was closed when I visited, but a peek
through the windows showed that the interior has been as nicely
restored as the exterior. The station is listed in the National
Register of Historical Places.(1998 photo)
Buckner
This little freight station once stood along the C&O main in Buckner. It
was moved to the lot of a private residence where it still stands today.
(November 2001 photo)
Mineral
This station was built to serve the town of Mineral in the mid-1880’s.
It was lengthened in about 1900. At that time the interior contained
a waiting room, a freight room, and two offices. The Mineral depot is still
in use by CSX maintenance crews. (1998 photo)
Louisa
The Louisa station was built in 1899 for a total cost of $386.
It is an excellent example of the C&O’s 1892 standard design. The
station is owned by CSX but is leased to the Maddox Feed Store.
It is being used as a storage building. (1998 photo)
Trevilian
This is the Trevilian Station as it appears today. The U.S. Postal
Service maintains a Post Office in the far end in what used to be the
waiting room. Sometimes it’s open, sometimes it’s not.
(1998 photo)
Gordonsville
The C&O’s freight house in Gordonsville was very near the passenger
depot. One interesting possibility is that this building was the
original depot for the town. Historic Gordonsville members located a
deed from 1840 that indicates a building “occupied as a freight
depot” stood on this site. Further, the 1878 Grey map of Gordonsville
shows that this building was once much larger than it is now. The
“missing” section, which was on the side nearest a hotel, may
have been the original passenger depot. Recently, Orange County received a
grant to move and restore this building. (1995 photo)
Keswick
This building was Keswick’s station until 1947. At that time a
curve reduction moved the tracks away from the station. The
building once housed a community center and is now the Little
Keswick School. (1998 photo)
This is the second Keswick station. This cinderblock structure
was built in 1947 to replace the previous building. After it was
closed it served as a retail outlet. It is now vacant and untended.
(1998 photo)
Charlottesville
This large colonial-style station was built in 1905. It was the
first of its kind on the C&O. At its peak in the 1920’s the
Charlottesville Station was handling 13 trains daily. The station
was sold to a developer in 1984 and was converted into office and
retail space. According to Garth Groff, the renovation of was
completed about 1990. The platforms were enclosed with new
wooden walls but the main station was not changed.
(Date unknown, Martha Tarrant photo, used with permission).
Please note that, due to a huge volume of spam coming in on my email account, I’ve had to change my email address.
The new address is lzdaily@nospam.piedmontsub.com (but remove the nospam and the dot before piedmontsub.com).
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