West Concord Depot
Encyclopedia
West Concord Depot is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail
system in West Concord, Massachusetts
. The depot, which opened in 1894, is listed on the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
.
from Boston
to Fitchburg
, Massachusetts
both inbound and outbound.
and Old Colony Railroad
, in a section of Concord
that was initially called Concord Junction. Eventually, the name of the station stop, and the section of town, was renamed West Concord. Both railroads were eventually merged into other railroad companies to create larger networks. The Fitchburg Railroad became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad
in 1900 while the Old Colony Railroad was absorbed into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
. Regular passenger service on the New Haven Railroad portion of the line ceased in 1930s.
The depot is now owned by the MBTA
, which purchased the passenger operations of the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1976. The building houses an MBTA office, a restaurant, and a waiting room for morning rail passengers.
West Concord Depot is a Queen Anne Style
building which was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. , local residents and businesses along with the Town of Concord and the MBTA were working to restore the station exterior after years of decay. The original railroad diamond is located in the bricks on the former right of way of the New Haven Railroad. This right of way is scheduled to become the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
Currently, the building holds the Club Car Cafe restaurant.
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
system in West Concord, Massachusetts
West Concord, Massachusetts
West Concord is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Concord in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,632 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Concord is located at ....
. The depot, which opened in 1894, is listed on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Location
West Concord Depot is located at 20 Commonwealth Avenue near the intersection of Main Street. Service to the station is provided by the Fitchburg LineFitchburg Line
The Fitchburg Line is an MBTA line that runs from Boston's North Station to Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, United States, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. It is one of the...
from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
to Fitchburg
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
both inbound and outbound.
History
The depot opened in 1894 as Union Station at the junction of the Fitchburg RailroadFitchburg Railroad
The Fitchburg Railroad is a former railroad company, which built a railroad line across northern Massachusetts, USA, leading to and through the Hoosac Tunnel. The Fitchburg was leased to the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1900...
and Old Colony Railroad
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
, in a section of Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
that was initially called Concord Junction. Eventually, the name of the station stop, and the section of town, was renamed West Concord. Both railroads were eventually merged into other railroad companies to create larger networks. The Fitchburg Railroad became part of the Boston and Maine Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...
in 1900 while the Old Colony Railroad was absorbed into the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad
The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad , was a railroad that operated in the northeast United States from 1872 to 1968 which served the states of Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts...
. Regular passenger service on the New Haven Railroad portion of the line ceased in 1930s.
The depot is now owned by the MBTA
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
, which purchased the passenger operations of the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1976. The building houses an MBTA office, a restaurant, and a waiting room for morning rail passengers.
West Concord Depot is a Queen Anne Style
Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)
In America, the Queen Anne style of architecture, furniture and decorative arts was popular in the United States from 1880 to 1910. In American usage "Queen Anne" is loosely used of a wide range of picturesque buildings with "free Renaissance" details rather than of a specific formulaic style in...
building which was entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. , local residents and businesses along with the Town of Concord and the MBTA were working to restore the station exterior after years of decay. The original railroad diamond is located in the bricks on the former right of way of the New Haven Railroad. This right of way is scheduled to become the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
Currently, the building holds the Club Car Cafe restaurant.
Nearby destinations
- Emerson HospitalEmerson HospitalEmerson Hospital is a hospital located in Concord, Massachusetts at 133 Old Road to Nine Acre Corner, founded in 1911 on donated by Charles Emerson...
- MCI-ConcordMassachusetts Correctional Institution - ConcordThe Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Concord is a medium security prison for men located in Concord, Massachusetts in the United States. Opened in 1878, it is the oldest running state prison for men in Massachusetts...
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Concord, Massachusetts
- List of Registered Historic Places in Middlesex County, Massachusetts
