LISBON Engineer uses 'Rails' book in bid to fix up train depot

At issue is the original purpose of the county-owned building.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- Columbiana County Engineer Bert Dawson is hopeful details contained in a privately published book will help his bid to restore an abandoned county-owned train depot.
Dawson said Monday he will include information from "Rails of Dreams" by Wayne Cole of Darlington, Pa., when he resubmits an application to the Ohio Historic Preservation Office.
The new application will mark the second time Dawson has sought to have the former Pittsburgh, Marian and Chicago Railroad depot on South Market Street named to the National Register of Historic Places.
A previous application was rejected by the state in April. State officials listed several objections, among them a concern that the decrepit two-story brick structure may have been built originally as a house and converted to a depot.
If that's the case, it diminishes the structure's historical importance.
Cole's book, however, states that the building was constructed as a depot in 1886 and included an extended bay window for a station operator. A platform and freight house were added later to the original structure, Cole writes.
The building remained in service until 1944, Cole's book goes on to say.
Proposal
Dawson said he intends to share Cole's information with the state with the hope that it will prompt preservation officials to change their mind about the structure's importance.
Having the depot on the National Register will make it easier to land state and federal restoration grants to renovate the building.
Dawson has estimated it will take about $250,000 to restore the depot to its period appearance.
The county bought the structure and surrounding property about five years ago for nearly $108,000.
Many of the bricks are loose, paint is peeling and some of the windows are boarded.
Should the building be renovated, it could be used for offices, Dawson has said. With restrooms installed, the former train station also would be a fine adjunct to the county park system's Greenway Trail.
Appropriately, the hike-bike pathway stretches about 12 miles from Lisbon to Leetonia over what was once a railroad bed.
The pathway's Lisbon trailhead, which has only a portable restroom, is just a few blocks from the train depot.