Platforms 1 Side platform Location Rockland, Maine, USA Opened 1917 Added to NRHP 7 February 1978 | Parking Yes Built 1917 (1917) Area 4,000 m² Tracks 1 | |
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Location Union Street and Pleasant Street,
Rockland, Maine Line(s) The Mid-Coast Limited
(seasonal) Architecture firm Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge Similar Brunswick Maine Street Sta, Stephen Taber, Farnsworth Art Museum, Isaac H Evans, Victory Chimes | ||
The Rockland Railroad Station is a railway station located at Union and Pleasant Streets in Rockland, Maine. It is the eastern terminus of the Rockland Branch, a state-owned track connecting Rockland and Brunswick. The historic station building was built in 1917 by the Maine Central Railroad, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it presently houses a restaurant, and served for a time as Rockland's city hall. The line is presently inactive, having most recently had seasonal passenger service from 2004 to 2015 operated by the Maine Eastern Railroad. The line has been leased to the Central Maine and Quebec Railway, which is planning to reintroduce service on the line.
Description and history
The Rockland Branch line was completed in 1871, and was first operated by the Knox and Lincoln Railroad. The line was leased to the Maine Central Railroad in 1891, which took over ownership in 1901 and operated primarily seasonal passenger service until 1959. The abandoned line was purchased by the state in 1987, and has been leased over the years to several operators. The line reaches its terminus at the southern end of Rockland's downtown area, with Pleasant Street to the south and Union Street to the east.
On the south side of the track stands the 1917 station building. It is a 1-1/2 story masonry structure, built of brick and concrete. The eastern half of the building has a gabled roof with stepped ends, while the western half is only a single story in height, and is hipped at the far end. The short facade facing Union Street has no windows, but has a ceremonial entrance set in a tall round-arch opening with flanking Doric columns and pilasters. On the south side, the eastern half has three large round-arch openings, the outer two filled with multi-pane windows, and what is now the main entrance in the center one. After service ended on the line, the station was adapted for use by the city as its city hall, occupying the building until 1996. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 for its architectural significance, and now houses a restaurant.