Woodbury's only surviving railroad station located at the corner of Railroad Ave. and Cooper St., is an example of Eastern Stick style architecture. Built in 1883, it features a hipped roof with slate shingles and decorative "stick work" shown in the exposed porch rafters. The West Jersey run depot and subsequent Woodbury Station was Woodbury's epicenter for social and economic growth. Not only did G.G. Green's endeavors, both financial and personal, find their epicenter here, but it was the site of whistle stops by the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, W.H. Taft, Woodrow Wilson (both as Gov. of NJ, and as Presidential candidate) and many others (Fahs, 2009). The Woodbury Station also served Philadelphia commuters who established homes in Woodbury's new East Side District. Vegetables from surrounding farms, manufactured goods from nearby factories, and even locally made patent medicines were shipped to market through this distinguished station. By 1917 there was more than 139 daily trains passing thru the Woodbury Train Station ("About woodbury station," 2010).
In 1996, thanks to the Woodbury Olde-City Restoration Committee and a grant from the NJ Historic Trust the station was completely restored. Nev Fahs, a Woodbury resident, local history buff and preservation carpenter had the pleasure to work on the station during this time. Fahs (2009) remarks on the condition of the building before restoration: The roof sagged and leaked, windows were broken and long painted shut, and the structure on the first floor was in danger of collapse from fatigue, rot, and water damage. The roof line of the platform apron was as wavy as spaghetti. Its condition only hinted at the glory days when G.G. Green parked his [railroad] car there, or when it was one of the quaint stops of the Cape May line, carrying Philadelphians and others to the shore every summer.
Sixteen years on, and the building still looks great. It is a testament to the lasting nature of Historic Preservation and a fine example of successful Adaptive Reuse. The building now houses a popular New Orleans cuisine style restaurant, The Woodbury Station Café. For more details (and some great stories) on the restoration work perfomed on the station see Fahs' blog HERE.
This blog is dedicated to the rich history and unique Victorian architecture, past and present, in Woodbury, NJ. The importance of historic preservation will be stressed in hopes of preventing more of our venerable buildings from going the way of the wind.
The content found herein is hoped to raise awareness of the extraordinary history and bright New Urbanist future to be found in this conveniently located city, 9 miles from Philadelphia, surrounded by lakes, green parks and the ghosts of multi-millionaires.
The viewpoints, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the Village Green Preservation Society alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the City of Woodbury, the Woodbury Historic Preservation Commission, Woodbury Olde City Restoration Committee, FAF Coalition, or the Gloucester County Historical Society.
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