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 Gardiner Railroad Station - Gardiner, ME Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 44° 13.858 W 069° 46.270
19T E 438412 N 4897815
Passenger service in Gardiner lasted for a full century and more, from 1851 or 1852 until June of 1960.
Waymark Code: WMQBCN
Location: Maine, United States
Date Posted: 01/28/2016
Views: 1
That is not to say that this station was around to see the beginning of railway service, though, as it was not built until 1911. Designed by Portland architect George Burnham, this Romanesque styled station replaced the original one, which was a wood framed building from 1866. The railway owners built their new station of brick and stone, indicating their faith in the future prosperity of Gardiner. The station was built by the Kennebec and Portland Railroad, with the Maine Central Railroad taking over in 1870. The last passenger train left the station in June of 1960.
Resting on a tall granite block foundation, the station was given several eye catching extras, such as the three dormers on each of the long sides of the building and contrasting white stone quoins on every corner of the building, as well as each window and door frame. It makes for quite a striking building.
Retired from railroad service in June of 1960, the old station has since seen the coming and going of several commercial enterprises, including an auto parts store. Today it is home to the Wellness Connection of Maine, one of 4 of Maine’s state-licensed medical cannabis (marijuana) dispensaries. The other three are in Brewer, Portland and Thomaston.
Gardiner Railroad Station
The Gardiner Railroad Station, constructed in 1911, is a distinctive
and substantial structure in a Romanesque derivative style.
The one-story building is of brick and granite construction, with
one internal brick chimney, hipped roof with wide bracketed overhang,
Quoins, and granite foundation. Fenestration is multi-paned and fully
framed in granite.
The façade, which faces west, features a double stairway leading
to a central main entrance. On each side of this doorway are two windows; to the left and right of these the building projects, each projection Being two bays wide, Above the central five bays are three dormers with low-arched windows; the central dormer is larger than the other two. On the façade and ends of the building the first story is well above street level, exposing the basement's rough-cut granite walls. Above this level the granite is smooth-cut up to the level of the window sills.
The Gardiner Railroad Station of 1911, 1s an extremely well preserved
building which, through adaptive reuse as a store, seems unlikely to
suffer the fate of so many of Its kind. The rugged brick and granite
structure is unique in design as far as Maine is concerned and Is one
of the few smaller stations of masonry construction.
Railroad service was inaugurated in Gardiner on January 1, 1852 and
the original station remained until replaced by the present one which was built just to the north of it. The station was sold by the Maine Central Railroad shortly after passenger service ended In the late 1950s. It has seen several commercial uses and is now an auto parts store.
George Burnham was a prominent Portland architect, designer of
notable buildings including the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland, part of the Portland Waterfront National Register Historic District.
This distinctive structure is a local landmark visible both from the
town and from the Kennebec River on whose bank it rests.
From the NRHP Nomination Form
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
Home of the Wellness Connection of Maine
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Kennebec and Portland Railroad, Maine Central Railroad
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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