Main Street Station

Main Street Station, c. 1958

Main Street Station (2016)

Site Name: Amtrak Main Street Station

Date of Construction: 1901

Reason for Construction: The station was constructed as a station catering to two major railroads; the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad.

Site History: Originally being a stop at the intersection of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, Main Street Station has become a staple of Richmond, Virginia. The train shed accompanying the station has significance as well as even though the shed and the platform have been replaced, the trestles that support this platform have not, garnering notoriety for being the largest remaining train trestles system in the country. In 1959 Seaboard Air Line Railroad moved its station to the Broad Street Station (now the science museum), and Chesapeake and Ohio had the station all to itself. In 1971, Amtrak took over operations of the station. When Hurricane Agnes hit in 1972, the main level of the station flooded. Due to this and low usage, the train station called it quits in 1975, but not before being added to the National Registry of Historic Landmarks in 1970. In 1983, there were plans to turn the building into a shopping mall; however, a “6-alarm fire” caused them to push back their plans as the fire destroyed the upper floors and the roof. The building was then restored using replica tiles. The shopping mall opened in 1985 and very quickly closed. For a small amount of time between 1985 and 1990, the station served as a nightclub as Shockoe Bottom had developed a bustling nightlife. In 1990 the Virginia Department of Health opened offices in the building. In 1991 the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act was passed (saying to restore old buildings before building new ones), which led to the building roof and train shed being completely restored along with a new platform being constructed and parking spaces being drawn out. In 1995, the station was sold to the State of Virginia. In 2001, safety and appearance restorations were done in order to remove the asbestos and strengthen the structure. The building was completely renovated, adding an elevator to comply with the disabilities act. Some security systems were also added. In 2003, Amtrak put the Main Street Station back to work.

Area History: In 1995, the addition of a flood wall in Shockoe Bottom helped to protect the low-lying area from the floods to which it was very prone. This helped the area, especially the riverfront area, to develop from an uninhabitable flood zone that only housed nightclubs. In 2004 the area saw another devastating flood, however reworking the sewage system in the area has prevented any more floods.

What about the site has changed?

The site has gone through a large flood and a devastating fire, causing much of the building exterior and interior to have to be replaced. The building has also been updated to follow more recent building codes regarding security and safety. When renovations were done in 2001 they found that some of the structure of the building was even made from compacted coal ash, which they had to replace with sturdier materials. The restorations were made to look as close to the original as possible.

What about the surrounding area has changed? Shockoe Bottom has become much more inhabitable due to the addition of a flood wall. Shockoe Bottom began development in the 18^th century. Soon after development the site served as a center of the slave trade in the area. At its peak Shockoe Bottom was home to more than 69 slave dealers and auction houses. At the end of the civil war in 1865, fleeing Confederate soldiers set fire to the city. After this fire the city had to rebuild rather quickly. Most of the buildings in the area were built after this fire. The district was used as a warehouse district for a bit of time in the 1900’s and saw a decline in the 1920’s. As the area rebuilt it saw many forms of art and entertainment move through. The area experienced a boom in the 1990’s as Tobacco warehouses were converted into apartment buildings. In 2004 there was a bad flood in the low-lying area, which eventually caused many businesses to shut down, and many buildings to be structurally compromised. After all of this, the area has been experiencing a boom in the recent years as more of the buildings have been upgraded and the area has been used as lower cost housing than some of the other parts of the city, causing inhabitants to flock. More buildings have been built and some office buildings have been built as well.

Reflection: Throughout this project I have learned so much more about the station than I thought even existed. I didn’t realize that the area was prone to flooding, it makes sense I just didn’t realize it. I didn’t know that the building tile was restored and replaced so many times or that even the structure was updated. For a while when I was younger I didn’t even know that it was a train station, I just thought it was a clock tower. Discovering that fact helped me on my way to finding out just what job this building served over time.

Author: Abby Bender 

Sources:

"Richmond - Main Street Station, VA (RVM)." Richmond. 2006. Great American Stations. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://www.greatamericanstations.com/Stations/RVM.

"RMTA :: Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority :: Main Street Station :: History." Richmond Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Accessed February 18, 2016. http://www.rmaonline.org/mainsthistory.html.

"Main Street Station, 1520 East Main Street, Richmond, Independent City, VA."Library of Congress. Accessed March 13, 2016. http://loc.gov/pictures/item/va0562/.