A small dilapidated building alongside Interstate 93 that played a pivotal role in Concord’s long railroad history, one of the few structures of its kind still standing in the state, is slated to be torn down after a decade of neglect.
“The railroad signal tower controlled all the signals and switches in the Concord rail yard. There were five different directions that the railroads could go and three or four different railroads operating through the Concord yard at one time,” said Peter Dearness, who formerly owned New England Southern railroad and had an office in the building for two decades.
The owner of the building, CSX Transportation, has applied to the City of Concord for a demolition permit. The Demolition Review Committee will review the site and, if they deem it as not having sufficient historical value, it can be torn down, said David Hall, the city’s code administrator. The review could happen as early as Monday.
“They have applied for the correct permits … and performed the abatement paperwork,” said Hall.
The 800-square-foot building squeezed between active rail tracks and the elevated Water Street bridge in south Concord, has existed at least since World War I, Dearness said.
It was built by the Boston & Maine Railroad as part of the massive Concord rail yard, which serviced passenger and freight trains that passed through the city when it was one of New England’s major rail hubs. Although rail service declined precipitously after passenger service ended in 1967, Dearness said the site continued operation as a signal tower until about 1980.
It was vacant until he occupied it in 1985 as the headquarters of New England Southern. After Pan Am Railways, which took over much of B&M’s freight operation, canceled a contract allowing him to connect to Manchester, Dearness moved out a dozen years ago. It has been empty since.
“Kids and homeless broke into it over the years. Pan Am never secured it properly,” Dearness said.
Pan Am sold its New England rail operations to CSX in 2022. CSX has been upgrading many rail lines since.
Contractors working for CSX were working in the building last week, removing trash and checking for hazardous materials such as asbestos. Heavy machinery is already on site to begin demotion.
Dearness said this may be the only rail signal house still standing in the state, although he wasn’t sure.
“My concern is that the committee doesn’t have time to give this a proper review,” Dearness said. “Seeing just the outside view and not having talked with some informed railroaders. … It’s a good solid building and should be saved.”
CSX also wants to tear down a nearby warehouse that was once used by the railroad, which Dearness said has no obvious historical value.
