The Portland daily press., 1895-11-01
OLD BRUNSWICK STATION.
IT Was Burned to the Ground Thursday |
Morning-Prospects of Fine New Build
fng-story of the Old Structure.

| Thursday morning about o'clock the
Maine Central railroad station at Bruins
wick was completely burned to the
ground. The fire caught in the Kitchen
of the restaurant, owned and operated by
George e. Woodbury. & Son.
| The flames quickly spread and the
efforts of the fremen and citizens were
centered upon saving the tickets and
baggage. Both were removed to place
of safety without damage. The restau-
rant was destroyed, but Mr.. Woodbury.
| damage.
The train shed was completely de-
| stroyed and the track covered with
debris. A crew of men was Immediately
set to work and the track was cleared so
that the passage of trains was not much
INSTRUCTED or delayed.
The American Express company's office
was not touched by the flames. The
Western Union office was in the burned
part of the structure and the wires and
switchboard were burned out Linemen
were put to work at an early hour SO that
at noon the wires were working.
The depot was fully insured. The fire
was to the advantage of the company in
one respect, it licked up everything SO
clean that there won't be much trouble
with the debris. The train that leaves
here at z a. m. went through all right
and the noon trains of course had no
difficulty at all. A crew was at once put
at work on the debris and today probably
work will begin on a new temporary
station. The station will be completed
in two or three weeks. 1t will be used
until the directors have decided upon
plans for a new station
There can be no doubt that this new
station will be fine one -Four or five
years ago the railroad made quite extern
siye preparations for new station,
acquiring additional land, strengthening
the tracks, etc. 1t was rumored at the
time that the new station would cost
$50, 900 or SIS, 600. and it was said that
the plans were all made. But these plans
have evidently been laid aside if they
were made, for the officials said yesterday
that while they had several plans for a
station, the direct ors had not signified
their intentions in the matter. There has
been some idea that the new station
would be built on the western plan OF
two buildings with an umbrella shaped
| train shed between them. At any rate it
| is evident that the new station will have
large train shed, for Brunswick is an
| important junction.
The old Brunswick station was one of
the Oldest in Maine, although it was not
the original Brunswick station. 1t was
on June 9th, 1S49, that the first locomo-
tive rolled into Brunswick. The railroad
was the old Kennebec and Portland,
built from va rmouth Junction TO Bath,
from Yarmouth into Portland. At first
an old house was used as station; but
in July, 1856, the first large station was
built 1t was 160 by 100 feet in size. This
was burned September 80, 1857. 1t was
uninsured and the loss was about $1,000.
For time Brunswick was the head
quarters of the railroad. Mr.. John S.
Gushing, afterwards the treasurer OF the
Maine Central, was very active in the
interests of the road chen at Brunswick.
The station was rep laced soon after the
fire, and has stood until Thursday. For
nearly forty years it has been, first the
pride and then the eyesore Of Brunswick.
Many generations of Bowdoin students
have made it's great arches ring with
their cheers and their sh outs, their greet
ings and their farewells. Its lunch room
has refreshed the midnight travellers of
many Pullmans, and has had wide
fame for it's good old New England
staples, coffee and baked beans
Mr. John Dennis, for many years
prominent merchant ON Commercial
street in this city, had. in the fifties,
large wholesale grocery establishment in
the station, occupying fully one half of
the building. Later his store was occu-
pied as the freight depot by the company.
M. Dennis built the road from Rich
mond to Gardiner and took pay in the
Portland and kennebec stock.