Windham Station / Depot: Windham, NH - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com

Located in Windham, NH, Windham Depot is the point in town where two B&M Railroad division lines crossed each other: the Worcester, Nashua, and Portland to the southwest and northeast, and the the Manchester and Lawrence division to the north and the south. From the mid 19th century through the mid 20th century, when rail was at it's peak, this area was a very busy point for transportation and commerce for obvious reasons: from just this point, one could reach many towns and cities in addition to seaports.

According to history, the Windham Depot was built in 1849. In the early 1900s the original depot building was moved 200 feet to the east, and the current depot was built. It served both lines up to the 1930's, when at that time, the WN&P rail was shut down through the district, followed by the removal of the rails soon after. The depot continued to serve the M&L line for both passenger and freight until the early 1950s, when passenger service ceased, and then the late 1970s when the M&L was shut down through the area, followed by the removal of the tracks in the 1980s.

After years of vacancy, the depot has been rescued from neglect and deterioration, and is presently reaching the final stages of restoration, thanks to local community groups and businesses. The station and freight buildings have fresh coats of paint, a new platform has been built at the freight house, and a paved parking lot is at the spot where the water tank used to stand (the footings for the tank are clearly visible in the parking lot). Across the street from the depot is a restored B&M caboose (No. C-16), and the surrounding area has state-preserved points of interest, primarily the remains of a sawmill flume, and foundations of buildings that once stood near the tracks of the depot.

In addition to being a historical point of interest, the depot is also an intersecting point for two rail trails that now run where the old railroad used to be. The M&L has been grated and paved over and is now known as the Windham Rail Trail, which runs from the Salem/Windham town line up to the Derry town line, which continues to the Derry train station. The Rockingham Recreational Trail remains unpaved, and runs from the Windham depot up to Epping, where it connects with the Portsmouth branch of the Rockingham Recreational Trail.

Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No Is the station/depot open to the public?: No If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: It is currently undergoing restoration, and is closed to the public at this time. What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: The WN&P and M&L divisions of the Boston & Maine RR Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]

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