Southern - Rogersville Depot
Rogersville is located in Hawkins County, about 13 miles from Bulls Gap and 30 miles from Greeneville. Though the businessmen of Rogersville advocated for a railroad as early as 1831, the railroad was slow in coming to Rogersville, not arriving until 1870. The first "station" consisted of a covered shelter with a wooden platform.
Located on the corner of Broadway and Depot Street, the Southern Railway Train Depot was built in 1890, but plans go all the way back to Civil War times, as the original deed for the building is dated 1861. Rogersville was the end of the line from Bulls Gap, with a turntable for the trains. The train tracks ran in front of the depot on what is now Broadway. This photo attests to the importance and busyness of a depot.
According to Randy Ball and Rodney Ferrell, in a book entitled Rogersville, railroad commerce began to wane in the 1960s and 1970s. The railroad tracks were removed after the depot closed in the 1970s.
In 1984, The Tennessee Homecoming '86 Committee began negotiations with Norfolk-Southern in order to save the depot. A 2020 article in The Rogersville Review states that the "building was donated to Hawkins County by the Southern Railway Company in July of 1986, and the county entered into a 99-year lease agreement with the Rogersville Heritage Association in May of 1987.
Thanks to the efforts of those who would preserve an important part of history, this beautiful depot is now fully restored. The Rogersville Heritage Association and the Tennessee Newspaper and Printing Museum now occupy the building, appropriate as the first newspaper in Tennessee was printed in Rogersville by Governor William Blount on November 5, 1791; the Knoxville Gazette.
Today...
For those who have an historic interest in seeing an original depot, the Rogersville Depot, located on the corner of Broadway and Depot Streets in Rogersville, is a fine example of preserving history and architectural integrity. Built in the Gothic Revival style influence, the depot reflects vernacular rectangular construction, with a low roof featuring raking eaves, two chimneys, brackets, and one story.
As you approach this strikingly beautiful and well-maintained building, the original historic registry approved colors of grey and maroon perfectly contrast for an appealing exterior.
The three-section bay ticket window was typical as this gave agents a clear view of the tracks. Six-over-six sash windows, common during the 1850s and 60s were often replaced by two-over-two in the 1870s. The Rogersville Depot features both.
Entering the Rogersville Depot is like stepping back in time as you glimpse an Auburn Post 20 mailbox prominently featured just inside the entrance door.
A sign telling the history of the depot states: Passengers frequently included students to or from the three fine boarding schools in Rogersville, or farm laden baskets of fresh vegetables. Eggs, butter and cheese which they brought to sell in Rogersville.
A cast-iron pot belly stove, complete with bucket of coal and shovel, is to the left of the chimney in the center of the former waiting room floor. A square stoveboard beneath the stove protects the floor from heat and flying embers.
The depot originally had two stoves, one in each room of the passenger section. This Hot Blast Smoke Consumer Estate pot belly stove was a newer technology built for fuel efficiency with hotter temperatures and fire longevity.
To the left of the entrance door is an alcove with a wooden shelf-type desk with a crescent shape cut into the wood for ease of an agent to sit at the ticket window to the outside.
On the left wall are two ticket/customer service windows with a shelf below which houses old railroad lanterns.
This view from Depot Street looks the same as it did over 150 years ago with the two original left entrance doors. The two chimneys are prominently featured. An addition is the transom window.
A view of the brackets, common in Gothic Revival styles, feature two extensions. Raking eaves feature reinforced bead board construction. Most depots had eaves for the comfort of passengers in protection from the elements.
A Tennessee Heritage Trail sign is prominently posted at the front entrance door. The Tennessee Heritage Trail was developed to highlight the rich history and cultural heritage of Tennessee.