Owned by MBTA Opened 1873 Architectural style Stick style Tracks 2 | Platforms 2 side platforms Area 2,024 m² Added to NRHP 28 August 1998 | |
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Location 10 Railroad Avenue
Swampscott, Massachusetts Line(s) Newburyport/Rockport Line Connections MBTA Bus: 441, 442, 455, 459 Parking 131 spaces ($4.00 fee)
6 accessible spaces Address Swampscott, MA 01907, United States Owner Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Similar Rockport, Ipswich, Lynn, Salem, Gloucester | ||
The Swampscott Railroad Depot is a historic passenger rail station in the Stick/Eastlake style, located in the southwest portion of Swampscott, Massachusetts near the Lynn border. Although the depot building is no longer in use, the location is still a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Newburyport/Rockport Line. The MBTA's Swampscott station serves as a park-and-ride location for Swampscott and adjoining Marblehead; it is fully handicapped accessible.
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History
The existing station building was originally built in 1868 for the Eastern Railroad; it was designed by George W. Cram, a Boston housewright. The depot was renovated by a group of locals in the 1980s to save it from demolition, but the work was temporary. In 1997, a town committee raised $15,000 to restore the exterior to its original condition, but no interior work was done. On August 28, 1998 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 2005, the town attempted to sell the station to a developer, but negotiations stalled in 2006. In 2010, the town again began soliciting proposals for reuse; however, the station has not received proper interior renovations, making reuse difficult. A December 2012 town report advocated for mixed-use development at the station, as well as a pedestrian crossing between the platforms. In 2012, Swampscott Station was signed as "Stanton Station" for use in the 2013 film Grown Ups 2.
Rail trail
In 2004, a town report proposed various transportation improvements, including improving pedestrian and bicycle access to the station from other areas in the town. This included the construction of a mixed-use path on the former Swampscott Branch right-of-way. Service on the Swampscott Branch, which diverged just north of the station, was discontinued in 1959 as the Boston and Maine Railroad shed unprofitable branch lines. The northern section in Marblehead was previously converted to part of the Marblehead Rail Trail, which runs largely along the former Marblehead Branch to South Salem. In 2012, the town drafted an eminent domain claim to obtain part of the right-of-way near the station from National Grid, who was not opposed to the trail but had much stricter requirements to allow conversion.
Bus connections
Four MBTA Bus routes run near the station. Two routes serving Marblehead run on Paradise Road, 1,200 feet (370 m) to the south:
Two routes serving Salem run on Essex Street, 500 feet (150 m) to the north: