The depot basement walls were poured several weeks ago, and waterproofing and insulation were added before the back-filling was completed. The depot will be lowered onto the foundation the week of March 7. Photos of our progress after the move can be found on our Facebook page.
Other Progress….
Last week, the roofless freight building next to the depot in its new location was finally demolished, courtesy of Canadian Pacific Railways (CP) who owns the building and property. CP contracted Jim Gleason of Northfield to remove the building and grade the lot. Our handsome depot now stands majestically alone near the railroad tracks!
Save the Northfield Depot also met last week with the Northfield Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) regarding the restoration plans for the depot. The Commission supported the plans to re-create the station master’s bay, roof brackets, and the roof metal filigree, and to replace the windows and doors. The windows will be the cottage style as used in 1888, and the doors will be custom made to be consistent with the originals. We also outlined our intentions to explore brick and limestone cleaning alternatives that will not cause damage to the materials. We will return to the HPC once we have plans for the cleaning method, color of the brackets and window trim, and the re-created chimney. Existing original 1888 plans are a valuable resource for the restoration work.
Repairs to the depot will be made as funds become available. Donations can be made by:
- mailing a check to Save the Northfield Depot, 712 4th St. E, Northfield, MN 55057; checks assure that we receive your full donation since there is no processing fee.
- using a credit or debit card by clicking on the “Donate Now” button on our home page.
Save the Northfield Depot 