NEW HAVEN, MI
New Haven, Michigan depot; June 2004
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New Haven is about 30 miles southwest of Port Huron.
The tracks were built in 1859 by the Chicago, Detroit and Canada Grand Trunk
Junction Rail Road Company. In 1928 the route was officially merged into
the Grand Trunk Western. |
| The New Haven depot was built in 1859, just as the route
was being completed. Its rounded windows are typical of the Italianate style,
quite popular at the time. One end of the depot originally served as living
quarters for the station agent and his family. New Haven is one of the few
surviving depots in Michigan built before the Civil War.
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| In 1859, a 12-year-old Thomas Edison got the job of
"train butcher" or "news butch" on the Port Huron-Detroit trains. He
would load up in Port Huron with magazines, newspapers, snacks, postcards
and cigars. These would be sold on the train and at station platforms along
the way. The young Thomas Edison likely was a frequent visitor in New
Haven.
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| Passenger service on this route ended in July 1954.
It seems the depot may have remained open as a freight station for a few
years, but in the early 1960's the depot closed. The depot suffered through
years of neglect and abuse while still owned by the railroad. Among other
things, it had a garage door cut into one end to make it more usable as storage
space. In the 1990's the railroad decided time had finally come to tear down
the old depot. |
Track Side/South End, New Haven Depot, 1983
| In 1997, Save Our Depot, Inc, a local non-profit
organization, arranged to buy the depot. The Grand Trunk Railroad did them
a real favor by selling the depot building and 1.3 acres of land for $5,000,
AND by allowing the depot to remain in its original location.
Save Our Depot, Inc. raised about $100,000 for the restoration
of the depot. Most of the money was from community development grants. An
additional $50,000 worth of in-kind services were contributed. The restoration
was finished in spring of 2004. The depot officially reopened on June 27,
2004 as a museum of local history.
The results of the restoration are really outstanding. The
group in New Haven deserves a lot of credit for not only saving one of Michigan's
oldest depots, but also for the quality of their restoration
efforts.
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Opening Day, June 2004
Ticket Window |
Bay Window Interior |
Depot Interior
With the building itself done, the museum is now seeking
artifacts, photos, and any documents relating to the history of New Haven
and surrounding areas.
Save Our Depot,Inc.
P.O. 480015
New Haven, MI 48048
The New Haven depot is very much like another, originally built on the same
route in Smith's
Creek. |
Old postcard View of the New Haven depot
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