The historic Newark Passenger Train Station has a new lease on life.
A year ago, the City of Newark was considering selling the Newark Passenger Train Station due to the extensive repairs it needed.
But thanks to the efforts of the Newark Historical Society, the community, and city and state officials, the city is now committed to fully renovating the station for continued public use.
Over $700,000 worth of repairs remain on the nearly 150-year-old building, but Newark Historical Society President Kaitlyn Tanis says it’s worth it considering the station’s role in putting Newark on the map.
“We did of course have the University of Delaware, but it really helped to expand number one the university, since folks from out of Delaware could actually come and travel to the university, and it also helped you expand trade. So it really created a broom for the community,” she explained.
The repairs will help to preserve that legacy.
“The most important thing is our roof needs to be replaced. It was replaced in the '80s, but roofs need to be replaced a little bit more frequently than that,” said Tanis. “The awnings that span the building also need to be replaced, some of them are sagging a little bit, and the other big item is our windows.”
The windows, which are original, are difficult to replace given the unique architectural style. But their disrepair poses a risk to the historical collection stored in the building.
The Newark Historical Society raised $25,000 for the renovation, with the remaining $675,000 coming from the state’s Bond Bill.
A public outcry to preserve the small station - driven in part by the loss of other historic buildings in Newark- helped rally support to fund the renovations.
“We were really grateful to everyone who reached out, and everyone that submitted comments, and everyone who really rallied around us. I think part of that push in the community was because the Green Mansion on Main Street was sold to a hotel developer, and they created a hotel on the back of it,” explained Tanis. “It really was a really big defeat for historical preservation for the City of Newark. And I think that defeat added to our benefit in that people really woke up and realized if they don't speak up, and if they don't voice their concern with the city, then the same thing could potentially happen to the Newark Passenger Train Station.”
Newark’s Green Mansion was built in 1882, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2019 the City of Newark moved forward with plans to build a seven-story Hyatt Place hotel on the site of the Green Mansion, leading to a partial demolition of the historic building.
The Newark Passenger Train Station is no longer at risk of meeting a similar fate, and will remain the home of the Newark Historical Society.
The museum/train station is located on the James F. Hall Trail, open for visitors with free admission from April 2, 2022 to Nov. 19, 2023.
