ET&WNC - Roan Mountain Depot

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The original Roan Mountain Depot was built in 1882, but burned in 1907.  The depot pictured here was built in 1907 and reflected the Gothic Revival Style influence with vernacular construction, one-story rectangular, with a low roof featuring raking eaves.  The bay ticket window is a three-sided square with two-over-two windows.  Steps lead up to the entrance door which features a small canopy.  On the left side, there are three, six-over-six windows and another entrance door.  

A November 2000 article in the Elizabethton Star, revealed that R. B. Angel was the depot agent from 1885 to 1915.  Fred Campbell, agent at Shell Creek from 1912 to 1915, was transferred to the Roan Mountain station, where he would stay for the next "33 years, eight months, and 25 days."  Campbell had shared in an earlier article in the STAR, in 1950, that he looked forward to going to work everyday, as the freight rooms and passenger trains were always full, with as many as "eight to ten cars a day."  Campbell nostalgically described the busyness of the depot with passenger service carrying locals, tourists, and college students, as well as special summer excursions, and loads of iron ore.  World War II ramped up the railroad service due to gas rationing, with "three daily round-trip passenger runs."

Campbell lamented, "It was a sad day "when the Tweetsie made her last run on October 16, 1950."  The trucking business, of which ET&WNC was a part, was the end of the railroad.  Having worked 41 years for ET&WNC, Campbell sadly said, "I guess you could say that they trucked the railroad out."

With no thought that the depot might someday be an historical landmark, it was immediately torn down.  All that remains are photographs and memories of the once bustling Roan Mountain Depot.

ET&WNC - Roan Mountain Depot