The Contoocook Depot makes an impression all on its own, but with the world’s oldest surviving covered railroad bridge, 1907 passenger car and 1800s section house in the backyard, the museum holds more history than one might think.
“The station was the hub of the community,” said Fred Nystrom, president of the Contoocook Railroad Association.
Since 1999, the organization has maintained the area and worked to restore the history of the depot that once connected the small village with the rest of New Hampshire and greater New England.
“There’s a lot to see and learn in a small walkable distance,” said Vice President Steve Lux Jr.
Originally built in 1849 as a part of the Concord & Claremont Railroad line, the depot eventually became more than just the hub for transportation, but also the post office and local public telegraph office in the 1860s. Eventually in the 1890s, Boston & Maine Railroad got their hands on the line, which transported passengers until 1955 and officially closed in 1962.
Now, the Contoocook Railroad Association wants to make the depot a community center again.
With multiple projects happening on different fronts, the nonprofit, made up of only volunteers, works to rehabilitate the historical site and all it has to offer.
Each volunteer brings their own expertise to the table.
Nystrom grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts and remembers hearing the rush of trains growing up. Since then, he found trains fascinating and ended up becoming a train dispatcher in Boston for about 15 years. After moving to New Hampshire with his wife, he found the depot in 2017 and became the resident train expert.
“These things built our country,” Nystrom said. “In fact, they built our whole civilization around the world. They brought mankind from medieval times into modern times.”
While Luz’s family has lived in Contoocook for three generations, he first discovered the depot when he moved back in 2010. Since then, when he’s not running Riverside Pizza, he has been all hands on deck when it comes to marketing and business strategy for the museum, whose next big project is protecting the 118-year-old wooden open platform coach from weather and time with a canopy roof.
A grant covered the preliminary cost of the canopy, but the association hopes to raise more funds with their custom brick campaign. Last year, with the help of Maple Row Management, the first part of the brick walkway was put in, leading pedestrians from the Contoocook Riverway Park to the coach and depot.
This time around, the bricks will go towards a patio, expanding the walkway and making room for a boarding platform the association hopes to build in the future. They also want to put in signs on the highway to draw interest and make the depot and coach more accessible with a handicap ramp.
The museum depends on donations and community support to stay open, but Nystrom and Lux have noticed younger generations losing interest in the history the site contains.
“Older people have living memory of the railroad…younger people can’t relate,” Nystrom said.
Still, the group does not plan to slow down — if anything, they want to create more opportunities for community members to get involved.
Christmas at the Depot has been one way the museum opens its doors to the community. Hosting an annual artisan craft show and reading of the Polar Express in the red coach allows residents to get a glimpse of what the depot has to offer.
During the summer, they host a weekly flea market alongside a farmers market on Saturdays. From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the museum invites everyone to check out both markets or book a booth space to sell their own goods.
In partnership with the Kearsarge Area of Commerce, the museum is also open every week in the summer on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for visitors, self-guided tours or scheduled tours led by Nystrom.
For more information about the Contoocook Railroad Museum and Visitor Center as well as the custom brick fundraiser: https://www.contoocookdepot.com/.