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August 4 , 2003 North
Carolina Railroad Company Shops Station RALEIGH, NC -- The only remaining original building of the North Carolina Railroad’s Company Shops complex is set to be officially dedicated on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 at 10:00 am at the building’s 101North Main Street address. Company Shops was a railroad maintenance and repair community, dating to the 1870s, that was renamed Burlington when the railroad facility was moved to Spencer, NC. The Company Shops building, which once served as the engine repair house for the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR), has been redeveloped to serve as Alamance County’s passenger rail station, with commercial space available for lease, some of which is already occupied by a division of the City of Burlington’s Police Department. “The redevelopment and reuse of Company Shops Station is a vital step forward for Burlington, NCRR and the state, ” says Brad Wilson, NCRR Chairman of the Board. “The building was a keystone in the development of the city when it was known as Company Shops. Today, it is our hope that it will once again serve as the catalyst for redevelopment and revitalization of this part of Burlington. That the same building could play an important role in economic development in two different eras is remarkable and exciting and accurately reflects the vision and mission of the NCRR. We are grateful that the people of Burlington have shared our enthusiasm for this project.” The Dedication event is open to the public and will feature former Governor Jim Hunt as the keynote speaker. North Carolina Secretary of Transportation Lyndo Tippett, Burlington Mayor Joseph P. Barbour and Charles Canaday, Chairman of the Alamance County Area Chamber of Commerce, will also speak. The 17,300 square foot Company Shops Station was built in the 1870s and could accommodate 15 engines. The doors were wide enough for trains to pass through. Light for the engine work came from skylights and large windows. Much of the original brick has been hand-cleaned and reused in the current structure. Architect William D. Moser, of Moser, Mayer Phoenix Associates, designed the restoration and renovation project for NCRR. A fire in June of 1918 burned all the remaining Company Shops buildings except the engine house. The building passed through several different companies and was used for a variety of purposes; most recently plumbing supplies were stored there. Plans to restore the building were put into motion in 2001 and the project was completed in July with income from NCRR’s railroad lease with Norfolk Southern Railway. The North Carolina Railroad Company owns and manages the 317-mile rail corridor from Morehead City to Charlotte that serves as the backbone of the state’s rail system. The railroad carries more than 60 freight trains operated by Norfolk Southern and eight Amtrak passenger trains daily. NCRR is owned by the State of North Carolina and operated as a private company. The NCRR’s mission is to manage, improve and protect the state’s rail properties and corridors in a manner that will enhance freight and passenger service and promote economic development. Photos
of Company Shops Station are available upon request. Contact:
Kat Christian
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