Shelburne Railroad Station and Freight Shed
Encyclopedia
The Shelburne Railroad Station and Freight Shed are two exhibit buildings at Shelburne Museum
in Shelburne, Vermont
.
In 1890 Rutland Railroad Station President Dr. William Seward Webb
commissioned the building of the Railroad Station near the center of Shelburne village to conveniently serve passengers on the Central Vermont and Rutland Railroads.
, architect of the Vanderbilt-Webb estate on Shelburne Farms
, the Railroad Station reflects the popular Shingle Style, which developed out of the Queen Anne (see Queen Anne Style architecture
) and Colonial Revival styles in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The Shingle Style accentuates the asymmetrical planning and prominent gables
common to Colonial and Queen Anne Revival structures, while the overhanging eaves
, eyebrow windows, and the obligatory shingle siding blanket the structure’s exterior to emphasize its fluid, continuous form. In the case of the Railroad Station, the shingled roof, which extends from the chimney peak to the edge of the overhanging porch, dominates the structure and unifies the building. Iterations of the Shingle Style became common in the design of wealthy Northeasterners’ summer "cottages," such as the house at Shelburne Farms. In applying the Shingle Style to the Railroad Station, Robertson guaranteed stylistic consistency between the station and his near-by Vanderbilt-Webb estate.
Robertson originally divided the interior of the Railroad Station into individual waiting rooms for men and women with the stationmaster’s office in between. In 1953, when the Rutland Railroad discontinued passenger service to Shelburne, Dr. Webb’s son, Vanderbilt Webb, and son-in-law, Cyril Jones
, gave the station to Shelburne Museum
. The Museum moved the station to its present site in 1959 and renovated the building, restoring the interior to Robertson’s original plan in the process. That year the Museum constructed the adjacent Freight Shed, which mimics the Railroad Station stylistically and reflects the type of outbuildings that every railroad would have maintained.
in the second half of the nineteenth century. Before the advent of railroads, New Englanders depended on the region’s lakes and rivers and the seacoast as their primary avenues of travel. Traveling inland proved difficult over roads that were muddy in spring, dusty and rutted in summer and fall, and littered with tree stumps year-round. Beginning in the late 1840s railroads brought new settlers to Vermont and helped the state’s fledgling dairy industry flourish by providing access to markets for milk
, butter
, and cheese
. Railroads connected once-remote New England communities to the rest of the country, improving mail delivery and bringing newspapers from Boston
and New York
the next day instead of weeks later.
Dr. William Seward Webb
served as president of the Wagner Palace Car Company and the Rutland Railroad
at the turn of the twentieth century. The Shelburne Railroad Station, now at the Museum, was constructed for Dr. Webb to serve the town and his estate at Shelburne Farms
. Today it houses part of the Museum’s collection of railroad equipment and memorabilia. The communication devices displayed range from the simple message hoops and "high-speed delivery fork," to technological innovations like the telegraph and telephone. Other items in the collection include historic photographs and locomotive portraits, maps of the rail network in Vermont and the United States in the nineteenth century, broadsides, and timetables for Vermont railroads, and models of early locomotives.
The Museum’s collection also includes a large group of railroad lanterns and glass globes from railroads around the northeast Railroad lanterns served as a method of communication between conductor
s, brakemen, signalmen, and engineer
s. Also in the collection are track-setting equipment, semaphore flags, handcars, and other track maintenance equipment. The wooden replica of Old Ironsides, the first locomotive built by the Baldwin locomotive works, was first displayed at the Columbia Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the collection is the Gertie Buck, a self-propelled inspection car built and used by the Dewey family on the Woodstock Railway in eastern Vermont in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
in Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne, Vermont
Shelburne is a town in southwestern Chittenden County, Vermont, United States, along the shores of Lake Champlain. The population was 7,144 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
In 1890 Rutland Railroad Station President Dr. William Seward Webb
William Seward Webb
William Seward Webb, M.D. was a businessman, and Inspector General of the Vermont militia with the rank of Colonel. He was a founder and former President of the Sons of the American Revolution.-Biography:...
commissioned the building of the Railroad Station near the center of Shelburne village to conveniently serve passengers on the Central Vermont and Rutland Railroads.
History
Designed by Robert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson Robertson
Robert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...
, architect of the Vanderbilt-Webb estate on Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. It is also one of the principal concert sites for the Vermont Mozart Festival....
, the Railroad Station reflects the popular Shingle Style, which developed out of the Queen Anne (see Queen Anne Style architecture
Queen Anne Style architecture
The Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
) and Colonial Revival styles in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The Shingle Style accentuates the asymmetrical planning and prominent gables
Gables
Gables may refer to:* Gables, portion of walls between the lines of sloping roofs* Ken Gables , Major League Baseball pitcher* Gables, Nebraska, an unincorporated community in the United States...
common to Colonial and Queen Anne Revival structures, while the overhanging eaves
Eaves
The eaves of a roof are its lower edges. They usually project beyond the walls of the building to carry rain water away.-Etymology:"Eaves" is derived from Old English and is both the singular and plural form of the word.- Function :...
, eyebrow windows, and the obligatory shingle siding blanket the structure’s exterior to emphasize its fluid, continuous form. In the case of the Railroad Station, the shingled roof, which extends from the chimney peak to the edge of the overhanging porch, dominates the structure and unifies the building. Iterations of the Shingle Style became common in the design of wealthy Northeasterners’ summer "cottages," such as the house at Shelburne Farms. In applying the Shingle Style to the Railroad Station, Robertson guaranteed stylistic consistency between the station and his near-by Vanderbilt-Webb estate.
Robertson originally divided the interior of the Railroad Station into individual waiting rooms for men and women with the stationmaster’s office in between. In 1953, when the Rutland Railroad discontinued passenger service to Shelburne, Dr. Webb’s son, Vanderbilt Webb, and son-in-law, Cyril Jones
Cyril Jones
Cyril Jones , was a British railway engineer, joined the Nizam’s State Railways in 1904 and was associated with NSR for until 1934...
, gave the station to Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum
Shelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
. The Museum moved the station to its present site in 1959 and renovated the building, restoring the interior to Robertson’s original plan in the process. That year the Museum constructed the adjacent Freight Shed, which mimics the Railroad Station stylistically and reflects the type of outbuildings that every railroad would have maintained.
Railroad Equipment and Memorabilia
Railroads brought great changes in commerce and communications to New EnglandNew England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in the second half of the nineteenth century. Before the advent of railroads, New Englanders depended on the region’s lakes and rivers and the seacoast as their primary avenues of travel. Traveling inland proved difficult over roads that were muddy in spring, dusty and rutted in summer and fall, and littered with tree stumps year-round. Beginning in the late 1840s railroads brought new settlers to Vermont and helped the state’s fledgling dairy industry flourish by providing access to markets for milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
, and cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
. Railroads connected once-remote New England communities to the rest of the country, improving mail delivery and bringing newspapers from Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
the next day instead of weeks later.
Dr. William Seward Webb
William Seward Webb
William Seward Webb, M.D. was a businessman, and Inspector General of the Vermont militia with the rank of Colonel. He was a founder and former President of the Sons of the American Revolution.-Biography:...
served as president of the Wagner Palace Car Company and the Rutland Railroad
Rutland Railroad
The Rutland Railway was a small railroad in the northeastern United States, primarily in the state of Vermont but extending into the state of New York. The earliest ancestor of the Rutland, the Rutland & Burlington Railroad, was chartered in 1843 by the state of Vermont to build between Rutland...
at the turn of the twentieth century. The Shelburne Railroad Station, now at the Museum, was constructed for Dr. Webb to serve the town and his estate at Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. It is also one of the principal concert sites for the Vermont Mozart Festival....
. Today it houses part of the Museum’s collection of railroad equipment and memorabilia. The communication devices displayed range from the simple message hoops and "high-speed delivery fork," to technological innovations like the telegraph and telephone. Other items in the collection include historic photographs and locomotive portraits, maps of the rail network in Vermont and the United States in the nineteenth century, broadsides, and timetables for Vermont railroads, and models of early locomotives.
The Museum’s collection also includes a large group of railroad lanterns and glass globes from railroads around the northeast Railroad lanterns served as a method of communication between conductor
Conductor (transportation)
A conductor is a member of a railway train's crew that is responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve the actual operation of the train. The title of conductor is most associated with railway operations in North America, but the role of conductor is common to railways...
s, brakemen, signalmen, and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s. Also in the collection are track-setting equipment, semaphore flags, handcars, and other track maintenance equipment. The wooden replica of Old Ironsides, the first locomotive built by the Baldwin locomotive works, was first displayed at the Columbia Exposition in Chicago in 1893. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the collection is the Gertie Buck, a self-propelled inspection car built and used by the Dewey family on the Woodstock Railway in eastern Vermont in the last decades of the nineteenth century.
See also
- Shelburne MuseumShelburne MuseumShelburne Museum is a museum of art and Americana located in Shelburne, Vermont, United States. Over 150,000 works are exhibited in 39 exhibition buildings, 25 of which are historic and were relocated to the Museum grounds...
- Rail Car Grand IsleRail Car Grand IsleThe Rail Car "Grand Isle" is an exhibition building at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.-History:The Wagner Palace Car Company fabricated the rail car "Grand Isle" about 1890 as a gift, presented by Dr. William Seward Webb, president of the company, to Vermont Governor Edward C. Smith...
- Rail Locomotive No. 220Rail Locomotive No. 220Rail Locomotive No. 220 is an exhibition building at Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.-Background:In 1915 the American Locomotive Company of Schenectady, New York built the Rail Locomotive No. 220, the last coal-burning, ten-wheeler steam engine used on the Central Vermont Railway...
- Shelburne FarmsShelburne FarmsShelburne Farms is a nonprofit environmental education center and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, Vermont. It is also one of the principal concert sites for the Vermont Mozart Festival....
- Queen Anne Style architectureQueen Anne Style architectureThe Queen Anne Style in Britain means either the English Baroque architectural style roughly of the reign of Queen Anne , or a revived form that was popular in the last quarter of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century...
- Robert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson RobertsonRobert Henderson Robertson was an American architect who designed numerous houses, institutional buildings and churches.-Life and career:...