New Haven and Northampton Railroad Depot, Simsbury Connecticut

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In the year 1826 the New Haven and Northampton Company constructed a canal through the town of Simsbury, providing a route from the Connecticut River down to New Haven. Used for twenty years, it was abandoned in 1846 due primarily, to mismanagement by the company.

However, transportation along that route was necessary and so, in 1850, the New Haven and Northampton Railroad put down tracks alongside the old canal. In 1871 the Connecticut Western Railroad also laid tracks through Simsbury, connecting Hartford with areas in New York State.

With so much traffic, Simsbury needed a depot and, in fact, at one time there were two. The Simsbury depot on Station Street however, was built sometime between 1873 and 1875. There is some discrepancy because it can be located on a map dated 1873 but the records of the New Haven and Northampton Railroad show it to have been built in 1875.

Being a brick Italianate style depot it is an unusual building, for most stations during this period were built in the Victorian Gothic style. Since it has been adapted for use as a restaurant many interior changes have been made but the integrity of its exterior style and design make it a building exemplary of good adaptive use.

Building Description

A block east of Simsbury's downtown section is a narrow two-block-long street with a few boutiques and a small art gallery. On the east side of this street is the old Simsbury depot. It is a small rectangular brick building with an overhanging wooden gable roof. The interior has been remodeled for use as a restaurant, but, except for a boardwalk style porch, the exterior has not been altered.

The facade has six bays; two doors, two single windows, one double window and a freight door, separated by slightly projecting brick pilasters. Italianate window heads are also made of brick and each bay is recessed and surmounted by a dentil course.

North and south elevations are similar for they have dentil courses echoing the gable line. Underneath these courses is a round window and below it, on the north side, are two windows and on the south side is one window. The old railroad tracks are only a few feet away from the rear of the depot (east side) but, at present, are quite covered with grass.

Simsbury depot is a charming building, small in scale and very much on its own in fairly undeveloped part of tow. Its Italianate brick decoration is distinctive and sets it off from the more typical Victorian Gothic frame stations of the period.

(1975)

(1975)

(1975)

(1975)

(1975)