| The Hamlet Passenger Depot By Kay Fetner | Photography by Ashley Fetner |
In 1870 a railroad ran from
Wilmington,N.C., to the Pee
Dee River and then on to
Charlotte. Another railroad
built in 1877 between
Raleigh and Augusta, Ga.,
crossed it in Hamlet, N.C.
The town of Hamlet was
incorporated in 1897.
The Hamlet passenger station was built in 1900 for the Seaboard Airline Railroad and is
the only Victorian Queen Anne passenger station in North Carolina. Because of its history
and unique architecture the depot is known nationally and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
While growing up in Hamlet, Ashley Fetner saw this station as a very busy place with as
many as 13 through freight trains, including locals and extras, plus 20 passenger
trains passing through each day. The lunch counter in the newsstand served home-cooked
meals and was always full of passengers, railroad workers and local people.
In order to preserve the depot, the city of Hamlet and the North Carolina Department of
Transportation relocated and renovated the station. In March 2003, the station was rotated
90 degrees. In April 2003, with a “July 4th atmosphere” complete with bleachers and lawn
chairs, the station was moved across the tracks to its new location.
The station today serves as an Amtrak stop for two passenger trains a day.
Ashley Fetner is a fine art photographer and an instructor at Randolph Community College. He
and Kay are members of Randolph EMC.
For information about prints:
Kay & Ashley Fetner
336 Westminster Court
Asheboro, NC 27205
E-mail: kayfetnerportraits@triad.rr.com
Wilmington,N.C., to the Pee
Dee River and then on to
Charlotte. Another railroad
built in 1877 between
Raleigh and Augusta, Ga.,
crossed it in Hamlet, N.C.
The town of Hamlet was
incorporated in 1897.
The Hamlet passenger station was built in 1900 for the Seaboard Airline Railroad and is
the only Victorian Queen Anne passenger station in North Carolina. Because of its history
and unique architecture the depot is known nationally and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
While growing up in Hamlet, Ashley Fetner saw this station as a very busy place with as
many as 13 through freight trains, including locals and extras, plus 20 passenger
trains passing through each day. The lunch counter in the newsstand served home-cooked
meals and was always full of passengers, railroad workers and local people.
In order to preserve the depot, the city of Hamlet and the North Carolina Department of
Transportation relocated and renovated the station. In March 2003, the station was rotated
90 degrees. In April 2003, with a “July 4th atmosphere” complete with bleachers and lawn
chairs, the station was moved across the tracks to its new location.
The station today serves as an Amtrak stop for two passenger trains a day.
Ashley Fetner is a fine art photographer and an instructor at Randolph Community College. He
and Kay are members of Randolph EMC.
For information about prints:
Kay & Ashley Fetner
336 Westminster Court
Asheboro, NC 27205
E-mail: kayfetnerportraits@triad.rr.com
|
|
