Since 1923, when the railway was taken over by Canadian National, the station has been owned by it. Pictou was a rather important station for the railroad as it was the railhead for service to Prince Edward Island, train cars being ferried to PEI on barges to the railhead at Wood Islands, PEI.
After passenger service was discontinued in 1963 the station eventually was turned over to the town of Pictou. Today it houses a community centre and is one of the homes of the
Northumberland Fisheries Museum. This two part museum is located in this station and at the wharf at 5 Caladh Avenue. That site also encompasses a
replica lighthouse and a
lobster hatchery. Not only can one tour the hatchery but one may even adopt a baby lobster.
A station was first built here in 1867 as a terminus for the Intercolonial Railway. This was a government line, incorporating earlier track, which forged a link between the Maritime provinces and central Canada. It became part of the Canadian National Railways in 1923. This station, company designed, was built in 1904. Combining the standard central pavilion form with some atypical details, the design is an aesthetically pleasing one. Elizabethan style gables and the Palladian window in the main bay reflect the eclectic tendency of the period.
From the CNHS Plaque
The Old C.N. Station was built circa 1904 for the Intercolonial Railroad following a company design. The structure, which also features a double façade, was built on reclaimed land and reflects the eclectic tastes of the period. Interesting features include the steep pictured gable dormers and the central Palladian window. It became part of the Canadian National Railway system in 1923. The building is now owned by the Town of Pictou and serves as a community centre and home of the local Fisheries Museum. The station is a National Historic Site.
From the Pictou Virtual Walking Tour
Pictou Railway Station
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The Pictou Railway Station (Intercolonial) National Historic Site of Canada is a former passenger terminal located in the town of Pictou, Nova Scotia. It is a rectangular, two-storey brick building displaying elements of the Chateau style. Detailing includes ornate stonework, Elizabethan gables and a Palladian window in the main bay. A projecting canopy runs the length of the building on both the platform and street-facing elevations. Official recognition refers to the building on its legal lot.
HERITAGE VALUE
Pictou Railway Station was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1976 because it is a company designed station, built in 1904, to replace the 1867 terminus that was built for the Intercolonial Railway, a government line, which forged a link between the Maritime provinces and central Canada.
Pictou Railway Station is associated with the early 20th century expansion and updating of the Intercolonial Railway prior to its incorporation into the Canadian National Railways. The period was one of growth and prosperity for the Intercolonial Railway reflecting a general economic upturn and increased government budgets. The Pictou line serviced the Pictou port facilities, which contained the railhead for traffic bound for Prince Edward Island. Passenger service was discontinued in 1963. The former Pictou Station suffered fire damage in 1996 that has since been repaired. The ground floor now houses a museum, a youth centre and community activity offices.
The heritage value of this site resides in those elements of the building that illustrate its original construction as a “Class One” Intercolonial Railway terminal, notably the surviving design, materials and decoration.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
- the waterfront setting;
- those elements illustrating the “Class-One” Intercolonial Railway design, including:
- the rectangular, two-storey massing under a gabled roof;
- the brick exterior facing;
- the exterior’s suggestion of Chateau-style detailing with projecting central pavilions, and gables;
- the remaining Elizabethan-style gables on the waterfront façade;
- the original placement of doors and windows, with the use of arched and Palladian windows at the second storey level and surviving original openings at ground level;
- the use of a projecting canopy running the length of the building on both the platform and the street-facing elevations;
- surviving original interior materials and finishes.
From Historic Places Canada