Monroe Railroad Station - Monroe, OR
N 44° 19.164 W 123° 17.905
10T E 476203 N 4907392
In a neat twist to architectural construction, the former freight portion of the Monroe Railroad Station from 1912 was relocated and incorporated into the new public library in 2013.
Waymark Code: WMY7ZT
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 05/07/2018
Views: 1
Monroe is home to a relatively new library, erected in 2012-2013 and contains part of the former Monroe railway station from 1912.
A fundraising effort was made around 2006 to establish the required money needed to build a new library. The freight section/portion of the former Monroe railway station was relocated 1/4 mile north to the library site and used as a prop to incite community involvement to promote the new library. The original waiting area and office portion of the railroad station were demolished in 1963. Up until 2006, the remaining portion of the railroad station was used to store agricultural chemicals by its owner, Willamette Seed & Grain Company.
The necessary funds were finally satisfied and contractors broke ground in 2012. The library was completed in February 2013 and opened to the public. It's a very nice addition to the community and the portion of the former railway station adds some architectural nostalgia to the building, which sits next to the former railroad tracks where trains once passed through Monroe for many decades.
Historic Preservation Northwest, a preservation society, produced a wonderful condition assessment for the former railroad station and you can read about its history here. You may also read a good write up by waymarker 'Bluejacket01' who provides additional history on the former railroad that passed through Monroe for many years. No railroad remains today -- a few small portions of track and the railroad bed are all that remain in town.