Parking 209 (planned) Location Taunton, Massachusetts Opened 1876 Architectural style Italianate architecture Tracks 1 | Disabled access Yes Built 1876 Area 404.7 m² Added to NRHP 5 July 1984 | |
 | ||
Location Off Dean Street
Taunton, Massachusetts Platforms 1 side platform (planned) Address Taunton, MA 02780, United States Similar Whale's Tooth, Watson Pond State Park, Lake Rico, Old Colony Historical Society, Wellfleet Drive‑In Theater | ||
Old Colony Railroad Station is an historic Italianate train station located off Dean Street (US Route 44) in Taunton, Massachusetts. The historic station, also known as Dean Street, will be joined by the modern Taunton station as part of the South Coast Rail project.
History
The first Taunton station was constructed in 1866 when the Dighton and Somerset Railroad (owned by the Old Colony Railroad) was opened. Originally to be called Taunton, it was renamed as Dean Street in 1865 before even opening. The current station was built in 1876; it saw regular commuter service to Boston until 1959.
The 1876 building, a distinctive brick Italianate structure, is the only surviving railroad station in the city. It has a main hip roof with modillioned eave and corbelled cornice, and a steeply pitched central gable section. At the track level a second roof is supported by large wooden brackets. The building's corners are articulated by stone quoining. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Old Colony Railroad Station in 1984.
A new MBTA Commuter Rail station, Taunton, is planned to be built at the site as part of the South Coast Rail project. An 800-foot-long high-level platform will be constructed just north of the historic building to serve a single passenger track; a freight passing track will also be added.