Oberlin Depot - Oberlin, Ohio
N 41° 17.078 W 082° 13.105
17T E 397970 N 4571070
The Oberlin depot opened in 1866.
Waymark Code: WMD5QD
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 11/22/2011
Views: 1
Oberlin's first rail line came through in 1852. The depot opened in 1866, when direct service opened to Elyria, cutting travel time to the county seat from two hours to 20 minutes. The depot's completion was a moment of some pride in the village. "We may reasonably expect," the local paper declared, "that our depot will contribute greatly to the removal of any wrong opinion as to the beauty of the town.” A well-proportioned building with broad eaves to protect passengers from the weather, the depot housed telegraph, ticket, and baggage offices as well as separate gas-lit waiting rooms for men and ladies. The exterior board-and-batten walls were painted stone gray with dark gray trim. In the spring of 1867 station agent Lester Kinney set out 125 shade trees and 25 evergreens in the surrounding park with its curving gravel carriage drive. The great age of steam transportations was underway, with half a dozen daily trains connecting Oberlin east and west.
Then the automobile came along. The railroad era ended in 1949 when Oberlin's last passenger train, nicknamed the Plug by villagers who used its 6:20 a.m. whistle for an alarm clock, made its final run by order of the Ohio Public Utilities Commission. Twenty years later the Nordson Foundation renovated the depot for use as a Headstart school. Its exterior has been faithfully preserved.
The depot is on the National Register. It is currently used as a community center. The track right of way is now a bike trail.
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?:
community center
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Not listed
Station/Depot Web Site: Not listed
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