HISTORY OF THE LOCKPORT RAILROAD DEPOT
(aka Andromeda's new home)
The right of way for the construction of the original railroad depot was granted to the Chicago and Alton Railroad in October 1862 and the building was constructed in 1863. In 1865, Abraham Lincoln's funeral train stopped here on its way to Springfield.
The building was later abandoned as a railroad depot, and became extremely run down during the early 1980's. Some long time Lockport residents may remember the building hosting the JayCee's Haunted Train station during many Halloweens during the 1970s. (Rumor has it that our very own Pat McDonald played the mummy for some of those years).
Starting in 1987, through a joint effort of Baird & Company (a local land surveying firm), the City of Lockport, and Metra, the building was completely gutted and restored. The limestone exterior remained intact as when it was originally constructed, with the interior redeveloped as a Metra waiting area and office space for Baird & Company. Baird & Company occupied the building from its completion in 1989 until October 2003, when the owners retired and sold the business.
Much of the trim used throughout the interior was saved from the original train station. We would like to take a moment and recognize some of the many people that were responsible for restoring this old building back to its former glory: Barbara Baird, Chuck Haggard, and Gordon McClusky. Many others played key roles in this project as well, and we tip our hat to all of them.
We encourage you to give us a call and schedule a time to stop by for a visit. We're very proud of our "new" historically-restored office space and would be pleased to show you around and discuss your own office needs for computer networking and communication systems. |