(erielack) East Stroudsburg Station update

[Todd Hollritt <thollritt_@_yahoo.com>]

East Stroudsburg's Dansbury Depot to open in October



var addthis_pub="poconorecord";
By Christina Tatu

Pocono Record Reporter
July 04, 2011 
October has become a significant month for the Dansbury Depot.
Two years ago, the historic train station turned restaurant was gutted by a fire.
Last October, it was successfully uprooted and moved to a new location across the tracks where the station has undergone extensive renovations.
This October, officials say it will be ready to open again, this time as a museum honoring East Stroudsburg's railroad history.
"The depot is a very ambitious train station. After surviving a major fire, being lifted from her roots and taken for two moves and a spin, she is still in great shape and appears unprepared to abandon East Stroudsburg and the tracks she was built to serve any time soon," said Cheryl Hayne, Downtown Manager of the Eastburg Community Alliance.
The alliance has undertaken fundraising efforts and is overseeing the rehabilitation of the station.
Since December, when the depot was first moved, it received a new foundation, about a quarter of the fire damaged section has been reframed, a new roof was built, a water-tight crawl space constructed, the structure was connected to water, sewer and electric and handicapped accessible entrance ramps were laid as well as side and rear sidewalks.
The ECA aims to have the majority of the renovations complete by Oct. 15, when they plan to have a special rededication ceremony, Hayne said.
Eventually the depot will also house a coffee/treat shop as well as meeting space for the community.
Despite moving the train station across the tracks, Hayne says the station retains its place on the National Register of Historic Places.
"It is the official recommendation of the PA Historical and Museum Commission Bureau for Historic Preservation that the East Stroudsburg Railroad Station (Dansbury Depot) retain its listing on the national register," she said.
The commission generally discourages relocating historic structures because if done incorrectly, they could lose their historic association, Hayne explained.
For example, if the Statue of Liberty were moved from Ellis Island, it would lose its entire story, and thus its history, she said.
However, because the depot still rests beside the tracks, it retains its historical association with transportation. The commission also makes exceptions for structures, such as the train station, that are in danger of destruction unless they are relocated.
"All of our planning is researched and calculated in the interest of the most authentic historic rehabilitation possible," Hayne said.
What remains to be completed on the depot is work on the siding, windows, canopy as well as painting the exterior.
The interior must also be completely restored under the secretary of the interior's standards for historic rehabilitation, Hayne said.
Todd ~

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