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Company Shops Station, Burlington Charlotte's History Tied to the Tracks
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March 19, 2002 Union Station Mural Almost Home
This Depression-era mural showing cities, towns, and railroads from North Carolina’s coast all the way to the mountains was installed in New Bern’s Union Station around 1940. The station, built in 1910 by the Atlantic Coastline Railroad, the Norfolk and Southern Railroad, and the Atlantic & North Carolina Railroad, once served as a gateway to the city. It is an excellent example of colonial revival and neo-classical architecture popular in the early twentieth century. Today the North Carolina Railroad Company owns the station and its mural. The building stands empty, and in need of renovation. Under
the direction of General Manager H. P. Edwards, the Atlantic & East
Carolina Railroad established its headquarters at Union station in 1939;
and the mural appeared in the “white waiting room” shortly
after. From its perch on the wall the mural witnessed many changes concerning
rail travel in New Bern. The last passenger train went through the station
in March 1950; Norfolk Southern used the building for freight operations
until 1987; and the upstairs was used as offices for a lumber company
until 1989. Since then the station has remained vacant and without climate
control causing rapid deterioration of the aging mural. Conservation In March 2001 the North Carolina Railroad Company, along with the help of Tryon Palace, Etherington Conservation Center, and the New Bern Preservation Foundation, removed the mural from Union Station in hopes that the mural had not suffered irreparable damage. Due to the mural’s fragile condition and immense size (15 ft. x 4 ft.), it took the help of several people to remove it from the station. Its frame was held to the wall by six large bolts. Scaffolding was set up so that the mural could be protected from falling as the bolts were loosened on the other side of the wall. Fortunately,
the bolts were easily removed and the mural was able to rest on the
scaffolding. Next, it was wrapped in polyester and bubble wrap to ensure
its safety during transport to the conservation lab in Greensboro. The
mural was transported by truck to Etherington Conservation Center, Inc.
in Greensboro, North Carolina. Upon close examination of the mural Harry
Campbell, Chief Conservator, determined that the mural was executed
in watercolor on a thin rice or onionskin paper that had been glued
to a stretch canvas. Campbell also conducted the conservation. His work
entailed the removal of dust, soot, mold, and rubber cement from the
front and back of the painting; consolidation of flaking and peeling
paint; and retouching of watercolor in some areas. The mural was reframed
in its original frame, with the addition of a stiffener and a moisture
barrier to the backside of the canvas. A crate was built to protect
the mural during transportation and long-term storage. Home Again On January 29, 2002 the restored mural left Etherington Conservation Center and arrived at Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens in New Bern, NC. In March 2002 the mural was mounted for display in the New Bern Academy Museum, a property operated by Tryon Palace. The New Bern Academy Museum is located in a restored 1809 schoolhouse four blocks from the Palace and only 2 blocks from Union Station. Exhibits in the Academy focus on New Bern’s history and architecture. The mural will stay in the Academy until it can be reinstalled in a restored Union Station. In
the Academy, the mural was cautiously mounted to custom-built wooden
brackets.
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