This is very much a recurring theme in the area: build a depot in the mid 1800s, build another larger one in the early 1900s, build a third immediately after the second one burns. However, all the other
Thirds were built of brick in an attempt to eliminate the necessity of building a fourth immediately after the third burned while this depot is a wood frame one (and has survived nonetheless).
This station was built late enough that, by then, the CPR had leased the railway and it was built by them, using a CPR design. See the history of railway stations in Middleton below.
Meticulously restored, right down to the exact colour matches for the paint, the depot now houses the Middleton Memory Lane Museum. It is a railway history museum, concentrating on the history of the Dominion Atlantic Railway (DAR). The DAR was created on October 1, 1894 through the merging of two older railways, the Windsor and Annapolis Railway (W&A) and the Western Counties Railway (WCR). The DAR was a major player in transportation and hospitality, operating railways, steamships, a hotel chain and named luxury trains such as the Flying Bluenose. Operating with an eye toward future revenue streams, the DAR was a major promoter of tourism and agriculture in its realm.
Inside, the museum is packed with DAR railway artefacts and memorabilia, while outside, it is made to appear as an operational railway depot, with various railway related items strewn about and luggage piled on hand carts, awaiting the arrival of the next train.
Middleton Station
Wood Station 1869 - 1890
The first Middleton Railway Station was constructed between 1869 and 1873. It is not known at this time if Middleton was one of the original 10 contracted stations built in 1869 or if it was built sometime before 1873 as one of 23 stations present in 1873 for the newly minted Windsor & Annapolis Railway. Without a photograph, we can surmise that it was likely one of the simple gable roofed W&A first generation stations judging by it's 40' x 22' dimensions and 200' x 11' platform, being the same as Hantsport, Grand Pre, Port Williams, Waterville, Berwick, Aylesford, Lawrencetown and Paradise. The station was also a telegraph station and had a 15' x 8' hand pump water tank as well.
Wood Station 1890 - 1915
A larger station was built in 1890. It was anticipated that Middleton would be the junction of a number of soon to be built branches and lines and so a large station becoming of the level and trade and industry that Middleton would soon be receiving was built.
Following a disastrous fire that destroyed the Windsor & Annapolis Railway 3 story station in 1915, the second Middleton station was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in their style of the day.
Wood Station 1915 - Present
Built on the same site as the original station, this modest CPR design of the day signalled that the perceived importance of Middleton as a railway hub had indeed never materialized. Middleton continued to be the interchange point for Halifax and Southwestern (CNR) traffic (including the famous Blueberry Express) to the valley from Bridgewater but apart from that Middleton was a normal level traffic spot on the DAR line. A free standing freight shed addition was built between 1946 and 1956 on the west side as was the station repainted from the DAR straw yellow to CPR tuscan red. At a later date prior to 1973 the free standing shed was expanded again joining it to the station as it is to the present day.
The station is currently home to the Memory Lane Railway Museum, a work project of the Future View Training, Rehabilitation and Employment Association, a registered federal non-profit society engaged in bringing selected clients back into the mainstream through meaningful involvement in the community.
From the DARwiki