Former Gilead Railroad Station

United States historic place

Gilead Railroad Station, Former

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Station pictured in 2017

Show map of Maine

Show map of the United States

Nearest city| Back Street and Bridge Street, just off US 2, Gilead, Maine
Coordinates| 44°23′40″N 70°58′21″W﻿ / ﻿44.39444°N 70.97250°W﻿ / 44.39444; -70.97250Coordinates: 44°23′40″N 70°58′21″W﻿ / ﻿44.39444°N 70.97250°W﻿ / 44.39444; -70.97250
Area| less than one acre
Built| 1851 (1851)
NRHP reference No.| 92000272[1]
Added to NRHP| March 26, 1992

The Former Gilead Railroad Station is the oldest known railroad depot in the state of Maine, and the oldest known on the former Grand Trunk Railway. It is located in the center of Gilead, Maine, in northwestern Oxford County, not far from where it originally stood when built in 1851. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, when it was located in Auburn. It is now maintained by the Gilead Historical Society.

## Description and history[edit]

Restored interior of Gilead Railroad Station in 2013.

The Gilead Station is a single story wood frame structure of modest size. It is three bays wide and one deep, with a gable roof. The entrance is in the center of the three bays, and is flanked by sash windows. The surrounds of the door and windows are stylistically similar, with flared elements on the outer edges of the side molding, and an upward projection on the lintel. The interior of the station is divided into two rooms, the doorway entering into the larger one, which fills the center and right of the building. The room to the left originally house the stationmaster's office. It is unknown what the original interior looked like, as it has been extensively altered for a variety of uses prior to undergoing restoration.[2]

The Grand Trunk Railway was founded in 1845 as a project to connect Portland, Maine and Montreal, Quebec by rail, providing a means to deliver supplies to Montreal via an ice-free port. Construction on the United States portion took place between 1846 and 1853, and the railway operated on the route until the 1920s. It is believed that this station was built in sections, which were transported to Gilead by the railroad for final assembly. Of the four surviving Grand Trunk stations, it is by far the oldest, and all of the stations of railroads chartered in Maine before the Grand Trunk have not survived.[2]

The station has been moved several times. In 1893 it was moved a short distance from its original site, so that a larger station (which has not survived) could be built. The station was formally discontinued in the 1950s, and was used by track maintenance crews. In 1991 it was moved to Auburn, where it was restored and used as an office building.[2] It was returned to Gilead in 2011, and is now maintained by the local historical society.[3]

## See also[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Oxford County, Maine

## References[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b c "NRHP nomination for Gilead Railroad Station (Former)". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-11-15.
3. ^ "Gilead Historical Society". Gilead Historical Society. Retrieved 2014-11-15.

* v
* t
* e

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Topics|

* Architectural style categories
* Contributing property
* Historic district
* History of the National Register of Historic Places
* Keeper of the Register
* National Park Service
* Property types

Lists by state|

* List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state:
* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Lists by insular areas|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Minor Outlying Islands
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* Virgin Islands

Lists by associated state|

* Federated States of Micronesia
* Marshall Islands
* Palau

Other areas|

* District of Columbia
* American Legation, Morocco

Related|

* National Historic Preservation Act
* Historic Preservation Fund
* List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
* University and college buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places

* National Register of Historic Places portal
* Category

*[No.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template