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Oakland’s Restored Treasure
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By Ken Wishnick
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Maryland.com
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 | | Oakland Railroad Station |
What is there about trains that stir people’s imagination? Is it the visualization of a chugging coal-burning locomotive winding its way through the mountains or is it the reminder of days gone by when life was much simpler? It’s hard to pinpoint, but one can’t deny that there’s something festive in the air when standing on the platform of an historic railroad station and hearing the whistle of an approaching train.
There was a time when the train station in Oakland was the busiest place in town. Local people would drive by just to watch the regular ebb and flow of visitors. And some of those visitors had famous faces. President Ulysses S. Grant or President Benjamin Harrison would alight from their carriages unattended by guards. Neither man was pressed for a handshake or an autograph. President and Mrs. Grover Cleveland, William McKinley and Buffalo Bill Cody have walked through this building. To the disappointment of many, regular passenger service ended in the early 1980's. The station then became an office and storage building for CSX Railways.
Now the structure has come back to life. The train station was purchased by the town of Oakland and has undergone an historically accurate restoration. The masonry of 1884 is becoming the cornerstone of Oakland’s rebirth. People from across the nation are coming just to have a chance to see this unique building. This fine example of Queen Anne style architecture is the hub of a significant community investment that includes a hiking/biking trail, town park, farmers' market, community pavilion and boat/fishing ramp complex.
The most unique exterior feature of the station is its circular tower, topped with a bell-shaped roof that utilizes half-timbered gables and fish-scale shingles. It is in here where the attendant on duty stood looking back and forth down the tracks as he prepared to manually engage a signal for passing trains. Despite the materials in the roof being more than 116 years old, the roofing crew reported that the original wood was in great condition and needed no repairs. Research showed that around 1948, and perhaps in preparation for Oakland's Centennial, some of the external features of the building were altered, including the removal of the decorative wooden balls on the gable ends of the roof. These ornaments were replaced.
Molded brick, stone trim, a slate roof and stained glass combine to create the aesthetic qualities that give this building its unique character. The single most expensive, and most important, item was the slate roof. Its replacement was delayed an entire year so that material could be mined from the same quarry that produced the original slate. As one of the most distinctive historic depots in the country, the Oakland Station was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
On the interior, it doesn’t take much imagination to let your mind wander to the station’s past. There’s the men’s waiting room, where chewing tobacco, smoking cigars and swearing was commonplace. This, of course, required separate facilities for the ladies of the time. Interestingly enough, gentlemen also used the ladies waiting room since it was warmer and closer to the ticket window. Found here is the only original piece of furniture remaining in the station.
On one section of the wall, the pot-bellied stove chimney vent still exists, evoking visions of its toasty warmth during blustery cold winter days. The authentic station waiting bench was originally housed in the Terra Alta, West Virginia train station prior to its demolition in 1999. It was given to the town as a gift from CSX.
The windows on the first floor all required restoration. Of particular interest is that more than seventy percent of the stained glass was recycled from the original window glass! However, the clear glass is all new and needed to meet modern safety standards.
There’s so much to see and do while visiting Garrett County, but be sure to allow time to enjoy the meticulous care that went into the restoration of Oakland’s newest treasure!
Article submitted by Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.
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Other Stories by Ken Wishnick
Garrett County: Land of Seven Lakes
A Winter Wonderland
More...
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