More on the old train station....... -- NEWBURGH NOSTALGIA

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4] ]

Subject: More on the old train station.......

Author:
Arlene #4

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 17:30:12 04/17/09 Fri

By Doyle Murphy
Times Herald-Record
Posted: April 16, 2009 - 2:00 AM
CITY OF NEWBURGH � The life of the old train station paralleled much of Newburgh: Beautiful in its day but neglected so thoroughly it threatened to collapse under its own weight.

Raymond Yannone grew up in Newburgh and would pass the Water Street landmark all the time.

"It was heartbreaking to ride by it every day and see it decay," said Yannone, a developer who now lives in Cornwall.

He began trying to buy it more than a year ago. He finally succeeded in January and has crews restoring and stabilizing the walls. He expects to have the exterior done by August and hopes to have Planning Board approval to begin a complete rehabilitation immediately after. By year's end, Yannone said, the building could be home to offices and an art gallery.

It used to be one of the premier stations on the old New York Central Railroad. Designed by the same architecture firm that drew the plans for Grand Central Station, it was built in 1909 and served the area until 1958 when passenger service migrated across the river.

A major fire in the early 1990s burned away much of the roof. What wasn't destroyed was left open to the weather. The homeless often stayed in the shell that remained, and stray campfires burned the building again and again. On Halloween night 2008, someone set the first of three fires there in 24 hours.

Still, touches of the old splendor remain. The portico that faces Water Street is still crowned by the initials of New York Central, the letters overlaid in the stone. Intricate brickwork remains.

"It was meant to impress," City Historian Mary McTamaney said.

Newburgh architect Roger Wood said they'll try to match as closely as possibly the former tile roof and brickwork. They'll use high-end windows and doors. The remaining, carved tail of one rafter will serve as a model for matching replacements.

Yannone admits it's a significant investment in a risky time. But, he said, sometimes you have to act.

"You can't get in at the top," Yannone said. "You have to get in at the bottom."

dmurphy@th-record.com

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

Subject	Author	Date
Re: More on the old train station.......	FSRR	15:59:51 04/19/09 Sun
Re: More on the old train station....... -- Oogie Bush (Hops-head), 08:24:49 04/20/09 Mon Re: More on the old train station....... -- Rand McNearly, 16:47:29 04/21/09 Tue Re: More on the old train station....... -- Sally 'Have Fan- Will Travel' Rand, 18:02:36 04/21/09 Tue Re: More on the old train station....... -- George, 19:46:57 04/22/09 Wed