Lacolle railway station
Encyclopedia
Lacolle railway station is a railway station located in Lacolle, Quebec
. Its address is 21 rue Ste-Marie adjacent to the Canadian Pacific Railway
(CPR) Lacolle Subdivision. A large piece of land surrounds it and a long yard is located on the other side of the tracks.
Situated close to the Canada – United States border, the Canadian Pacific Railway station at Lacolle played a role as both a railway station and a customs and immigration post for Canadian
and American
border officers.
Today the building is abandoned, but acquisition of the station from Canadian Pacific Railway is almost complete as of October 2011 by the municipality of Lacolle. The municipality is planning for the restoration of the station by 2014 at an estimated cost of 1 million dollars
, the station is planned to be a municipal museum and historical society also having space for a conference room (as told by local newspapers and the mayor of Lacolle).
to Montreal
. Construction involved the most direct route to Montreal with minimal grades possible.
After the line was completed Lacolle already had built a wooden railway station (build date never found) and was later ravaged by flames in 1929.
In 1907, the Napierville Junction Railway was purchased by the Delaware & Hudson Company, hence the D&H’s architecture/style of the station. On April 9, 1907, the Napierville Junction Railway was opened from Delson, QC
to the US-Canada border, giving the Delaware & Hudson a link to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk Railway
. The Napierville Junction was given the same track that the D&H’s subsidiary company, the New York & Canada Railroad built the year before from the border to Rouses Point. Its length was approximately 1.1 miles.
As soon as the track was placed, the D&H used this route, and a small stretch of the Grand Trunk track, to get to Montreal. This route did not last long, however. On October 1, 1917, the D&H began using CPR tracks out of Delson to reach Montreal.
There was also another route used from Canada Junction, just north of Plattsburgh to Montreal.
Construction started on Lacolle railway station on July 15, 1930 and was completed on November 15, 1930. The cost of construction was C$38,718.30 in 1930 ($513,096.30 in 2011 Dollars) and it was built by the Delaware & Hudson Railway. The station was inaugurated two days later on the November 17, 1930. The building housed customs offices, maintenance equipment and brokers. It was mainly used for passenger service until the 1980s.
For over 53 years, the Napierville Junction had its own identity until 1970 when the Delaware & Hudson/Canadian Pacific railway merged it into its own Montreal Division.
Lacolle was the epicenter of the Napierville Junction. Even in the years after the D&H merger. The large station hosted passengers for the Montreal Limited and the Adirondack. There were offices and rooms for officials, train conductors and maintenance crews alike.
In 1991 the Canadian Pacific Railway bought the Napierville Junction Railway to own the stretch of track from Delson Jct. to Rouses Point. The Delaware and Hudson operates and is wholly owned to the name of Canadian Pacific Railway. Due to the renovations, CPR closed down the station and abandoned the property in 1998, employees working at the station were mostly relocated to work at Canadian Pacific yards in Montreal.
, the Lacolle railway station illustrates the effect of international investment on railway construction in Canada. Lacolle station is a late example of the Château-style
developed by railway companies during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Designed by Montreal architect Charles Reginald Tetley, its resemblance to a Normandy
manor house reflects the romantic view of its American owners towards the architecture of Old Quebec
, and their desire to signify to American travelers that they had arrived in a francophone
province.
The station retains its relationship with a stone wall of similar masonry which defines the station property. The station serves as a landmark in the community.
The cobblestone
was carried in from the other side of the Richelieu River
on farm land in Noyan, QC
the building was built in an L shape from a top view. The roof is made of copper sheeting. In 1991 Parks Canada
listed the Lacolle Station as one of only 54 stations in Canada to be officially preserved.
Lacolle, Quebec
Lacolle is a municipality in southern Quebec, Canada located in the administrative area of the Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 2,512...
. Its address is 21 rue Ste-Marie adjacent to the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) Lacolle Subdivision. A large piece of land surrounds it and a long yard is located on the other side of the tracks.
Situated close to the Canada – United States border, the Canadian Pacific Railway station at Lacolle played a role as both a railway station and a customs and immigration post for Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border officers.
Today the building is abandoned, but acquisition of the station from Canadian Pacific Railway is almost complete as of October 2011 by the municipality of Lacolle. The municipality is planning for the restoration of the station by 2014 at an estimated cost of 1 million dollars
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
, the station is planned to be a municipal museum and historical society also having space for a conference room (as told by local newspapers and the mayor of Lacolle).
History
In 1881, the Napierville Junction Railway & Quarry Company was created to build a line from Rouses Point, NYRouses Point, New York
Rouses Point is a village in Clinton County, New York, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 2,209 at the 2010 census. The village is named after Jacques Rouse, an early settler....
to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Construction involved the most direct route to Montreal with minimal grades possible.
After the line was completed Lacolle already had built a wooden railway station (build date never found) and was later ravaged by flames in 1929.
In 1907, the Napierville Junction Railway was purchased by the Delaware & Hudson Company, hence the D&H’s architecture/style of the station. On April 9, 1907, the Napierville Junction Railway was opened from Delson, QC
Delson, Quebec
Delson is an off-island suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is situated 8 mi/13 km SSE of Montreal within the regional county municipality of Roussillion in the administrative region of Montérégie. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 7,322.On its small territory, Delson is crossed...
to the US-Canada border, giving the Delaware & Hudson a link to the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk Railway
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
. The Napierville Junction was given the same track that the D&H’s subsidiary company, the New York & Canada Railroad built the year before from the border to Rouses Point. Its length was approximately 1.1 miles.
As soon as the track was placed, the D&H used this route, and a small stretch of the Grand Trunk track, to get to Montreal. This route did not last long, however. On October 1, 1917, the D&H began using CPR tracks out of Delson to reach Montreal.
There was also another route used from Canada Junction, just north of Plattsburgh to Montreal.
Construction started on Lacolle railway station on July 15, 1930 and was completed on November 15, 1930. The cost of construction was C$38,718.30 in 1930 ($513,096.30 in 2011 Dollars) and it was built by the Delaware & Hudson Railway. The station was inaugurated two days later on the November 17, 1930. The building housed customs offices, maintenance equipment and brokers. It was mainly used for passenger service until the 1980s.
For over 53 years, the Napierville Junction had its own identity until 1970 when the Delaware & Hudson/Canadian Pacific railway merged it into its own Montreal Division.
Lacolle was the epicenter of the Napierville Junction. Even in the years after the D&H merger. The large station hosted passengers for the Montreal Limited and the Adirondack. There were offices and rooms for officials, train conductors and maintenance crews alike.
In 1991 the Canadian Pacific Railway bought the Napierville Junction Railway to own the stretch of track from Delson Jct. to Rouses Point. The Delaware and Hudson operates and is wholly owned to the name of Canadian Pacific Railway. Due to the renovations, CPR closed down the station and abandoned the property in 1998, employees working at the station were mostly relocated to work at Canadian Pacific yards in Montreal.
Architecture
Built by the Napierville Junction Railway, a subsidiary of the American-owned Delaware and Hudson RailwayDelaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...
, the Lacolle railway station illustrates the effect of international investment on railway construction in Canada. Lacolle station is a late example of the Château-style
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
developed by railway companies during the late-19th and early-20th centuries. Designed by Montreal architect Charles Reginald Tetley, its resemblance to a Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
manor house reflects the romantic view of its American owners towards the architecture of Old Quebec
Old Quebec
Old Quebec is a historic neighbourhood of Quebec City, the capital of the province of Quebec in Canada. Comprising the Upper Town and Lower Town , the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
, and their desire to signify to American travelers that they had arrived in a francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
province.
The station retains its relationship with a stone wall of similar masonry which defines the station property. The station serves as a landmark in the community.
The cobblestone
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
was carried in from the other side of the Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
on farm land in Noyan, QC
Noyan, Quebec
Noyan is a municipality in the province of Quebec, Canada, located in the Regional County Municipality of Le Haut-Richelieu. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 1,354.-Population:Population trend-Language:...
the building was built in an L shape from a top view. The roof is made of copper sheeting. In 1991 Parks Canada
Parks Canada
Parks Canada , also known as the Parks Canada Agency , is an agency of the Government of Canada mandated to protect and present nationally significant natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative...
listed the Lacolle Station as one of only 54 stations in Canada to be officially preserved.
See also
- Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
- LacolleLacolleLacolle might refer to:*Lacolle, Quebec*Lacolle River, Quebec*Lacolle Mills Blockhouse*Battle of Lacolle Mills , British victory during the War of 1812*Battle of Lacolle Mills , British victory during the War of 1812...
- Napierville Junction Railway
- Delaware & Hudson Railway