9 April 2008
McAdam Historical Railway Station
McAdam station.
McAdam New Brunswick - This unique building was
commissioned by Sir William Cornelius Van Horn. It is a combination of Gothic, Baroque, and Victorian styles. There were two
architects. W.H. Painter and Edward Maxwell. It was officially opened in 1900 at a cost of $30,000. Additions were built on the east
and west ends in 1910 and 1911 giving the building a length of 285 ft.
There were 16 passenger trains a day passing through McAdam at that time. The station had a dining room, lunch counter, and hotel rooms
ready to accommodate the many passengers.
During the war, all the troop trains came through on their way to Halifax, stopping for a short lunch or a piece of the famous
"railway pie".
With the downsizing of the railway and the end of passenger train service by VIA Rail Canada, the doors were finally closed. There was
little to be done as it was owned by CPR.
Village mayor and council tried to negotiate with CPR to salvage the station. Many hours and years were spent in talks, and they
finally agreed. But before it could be turned over it was sold to NB Southern Railway. The negotiations began again and this time were
successful.
The McAdam Historical Restoration Commission (MHRC) was formed during these events and they raised money and received federal and
provincial grants to repair the roof which was in terrible condition. With the roof repaired, they started to work on the rest of the
building.
Slowly, but determinedly they raised fund and started the restoration. To date, the dinning room has been restored, (less the tables)
new wiring, washrooms, have been rebuilt, new flooring in the waiting room, painting of the lunch counter, and telegraph office and
other rooms.
New chairs are being built for the dining room through donations. It is quite amazing what a small group of determined people can do!
Parts of the walls and floor had rotted out from the leaking of the roof. All these things had to be repaired before any work could be
done. The granite walls had to be repaired and repointed. This was accomplished and one section of the wall was cleaned, showing what
the original building looked like. Everything took time and money. At present the MHRC has received a grant to redo the kitchen in the
lunch counter, and to repair the "Maxwell Room" named for one of the architects. This will be a help to the commission, who
fund raise by putting on tours with lunches and dinners. The dining room is also leased and the addition of a kitchen would increase
rentals. The village tourist centre is located in the station and tours are available during the summer months. There are three floors
and a basement in the station, but so far most of the work has been on the first floor. With increased interest in the renovation of
the station, it is hoped the next phase will see the second floor renewed.
Fund raising is an ongoing process, and anyone interested in helping out can contact the commission at McAdam Historical Restoration
Commission. They do not have a web site of their own as yet, but there is a link on the village web site to a station page that can
give you more information. mcadamnb.com.
McAdam station lunch counter.
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