This gorgeous Romanesque Revival oversized stone depot, built by the Inter-Colonial Railway (ICR) in 1908 and closed in 2014, nevertheless still serves the good folks of Amherst who need to take a train to get to where they're going, and, if all goes well in the future, may reopen soon as a destination restaurant.
Although the names of the railways and Crown corporations that operate the rail systems that pass through here have changed, what hasn't changed is that the passenger rail service is still provided by a Crown corporation: From Inter-Colonial Railway to Canadian National Railways to VIA Rail, Blasterz (being trainiacs) appreciate both Canada's commitment to rail travel and the obvious desire to preserve these wonderful and historic public structures.
In 1992 the Amherst ICR Depot was listed as on the Canadian register of Historic Places, as follows: www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=4564
"VIA Rail/Canadian National Railways Station
Station Street, Amherst, Nova Scotia, B4H, Canada
Formally Recognized: 1992/11/01
OTHER NAME(S)
VIA Rail/Canadian National Railways Station
Intercolonial Railway Station
Gare du Chemin de fer Intercolonial
Amhert Intercolonial Railway Station
Gare du Chemin de fer Intercolonial d’Amherst
Canadian National Railways Station
Gare ferroviaire du Canadien National
CONSTRUCTION DATE(S)
1907/01/01 to 1908/01/01
LISTED ON THE CANADIAN REGISTER: 2008/03/11
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE:
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
The VIA Rail/Canadian National Railways (CNR) Station at Amherst is a one-and-a-half-storey, red sandstone railway station, built between 1907 and 1908. It is located in the town of Amherst. The formal recognition is confined to the railway station building.
HERITAGE VALUE
The VIA Rail/Canadian National Railways Station at Amherst represents the growth and prosperity of Nova Scotia at the beginning of the 20th century, and the role of the Intercolonial Railway Company (ICR) in the economic development of small towns. Strategically placed on the rail link between Nova Scotia and central Canada, Amherst became an important industrial and service centre. The present station reflects increasing demands for passenger and freight services and the expectation of continued growth.
The large size and impressive design of the VIA Rail/Canadian National Railways Station at Amherst reflects the significance of Amherst to the ICR and its expectations for future growth. Deliberately built to dominate its surroundings and provide more space than was required, it remains one of the largest railway stations in the province of Nova Scotia. Its construction of local red sandstone in the Romanesque Revival style corresponds to the style and materials of local buildings of the same era.
The station retains its relationship with the long platform beside the station and with railway-related buildings in the neighbourhood.
Sources: Heritage Character Statement, The Via Rail/CNR Station, Amherst, Nova Scotia, March 1993; Delta Four Associates Inc., Harry Jost and Barry Moody, Railway Station Report 134, VIA Rail/ Canadian National Railways Station, Amherst, Nova Scotia.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
Character-defining elements of the VIA Rail/Canadian National Railways Station at Amherst include:
- its form and massing, consisting of a long, high, rectangular block, capped with a steep, hipped roof;
- its Romanesque Revival style, evident in the towers, the stone chimney stacks, the arched, tripartite, masonry openings, and the deeply shadowed canopy;
- its features typical of early-20th-century railway stations, including the hipped roof, the deep platform canopy, the large wooden brackets, and the projecting operator’s bay;
- the deep platform canopy, sitting below the eaves line, and supported on chamfered scissor brackets resting on stone corbels;
- the prominent moulded cornice above the platform canopy, with deep shadow lines created by projecting courses of masonry;
- the small dormer with stepped detailing on each of the track (west), town (east) and north façades;
- the large, two-storey bay on each of the track and town façades, terminating in a pyramidal roof on the track side, and in a parapet with stepped detailing on the town side;
- the deliberately irregular pattern of openings;
- the configuration of each tripartite opening, including semi-circular, tripartite, windows on all elevations, semi-circular, tripartite openings with double doors, transom and sidelights, segmentally arched tripartite windows in the second-storey bays, and rectangular tripartite windows in the ground-floor bays;
- the surviving original wood sash and multi-light storm windows;
- the character and high quality of the masonry work, consisting of local red sandstone laid rock-faced in broken courses;
- the surviving original features of the elegant, Edwardian-style interior, including coffered ceilings, intricately patterned in matched lumber, walls divided into contrasting panels of vertical, horizontal and diagonal boarding, leaded glass sidelight in the ladies’ waiting room and a fireplace in the ladies’ waiting room.
RECOGNITION
JURISDICTION
Federal
RECOGNITION AUTHORITY
Government of Canada
RECOGNITION STATUTE
Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act
RECOGNITION TYPE
Heritage Railway Station
RECOGNITION DATE
1992/11/01
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
SIGNIFICANT DATE(S)
n/a
THEME - CATEGORY AND TYPE
Developing Economies
Communications and Transportation
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design
FUNCTION - CATEGORY AND TYPE
CURRENT
HISTORIC
Transport-Rail
Station or Other Rail Facility
ARCHITECT / DESIGNER
William B. Mackenzie, chief engineer, Moncton regional office, Intercolonial Railway
BUILDER
n/a
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
LOCATION OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec
CROSS-REFERENCE TO COLLECTION
FED/PROV/TERR IDENTIFIER
2094
STATUS
Published
RELATED PLACES
n/a"
In Jan 2017, the VIA Rail website states that this station is closed, but that trains will still stop here to pick up passengers, and will accept checked baggage.
According to the local newspaper, the city has purchased the station from VIA Rail and is exploring repurposing it as a restaurant: (
visit link)
"Train station could become new home for Bambino's
Town to purchase building, sell to JE Bembridge Ltd.
Darrell Cole webcomments@ngnews.ca
Published on December 22, 2015
AMHERST – Amherst’s former train station could have a new owner very soon.
The town has entered into an agreement with Via Rail to purchase the historic downtown train station and will sell it to businessman Jeff Bembridge who plans to move Bambino’s Pizzeria into the building while opening a family restaurant in one end of the station that was abandoned in October 2012 when Via reduced its Ocean schedule.
“In an effort to attract private sector interest, in early May, a request for proposal process was commenced that encouraged any interested party that would have a
business idea that may be feasible to submit a proposal for the town’s consideration,” Coun. Dave March said Monday. “Only one proposal was received and this was from JE Bembridge Enterprises Ltd. On the direction of council, staff negotiated a purchase and sale agreement with JE Bembridge Enterprises Ltd., obtained confirmation from VIA that they will support the agreement, and negotiated a purchase and sale agreement with VIA for the property.”
Under the agreement, Via has offered to transfer the station to the town for $1. During negotiations, it was identified that the street and infrastructure may need improvements. As a result Via has committed a payment upon closing of $90,000 to the town.
Via will maintain space at the station for its customers and will be provided space to house its technology, while also maintaining signage on the property at no cost.
The terms and conditions will be in place for 25 years with an option to renew for another 25 years.
The deal still has to be approved by Parks Canada, the minister responsible for Via’s operations and the board of directors.
The company is conducting a Level 1 environmental assessment of the property and the town has 30 days to terminate the agreement if the report reveals material issues.
Bembridge will purchase the property from the town over a five-year period for $1,083 per month. At the end of the fifth year, Bembridge will take ownership.
His company, JE Bembridge Ltd., estimates the appropriate value of the property at $64,980, which is the value of the lease over five years.
Amherst will install a new boiler in the building at a cost of $7,000 and renovations are to take place over and eight to 12-month period after the purchase and sale agreement is completed.
The station has been empty since the Amherst Artisans Gallery left in 2014 following a flood caused by broken pipes in the building."
Dinner and some train watching -- Blasterz are ALWAYS ready for some of that! :)