Historic Wayne station making trek to original home
A train depot built in the 1880s is hitching a ride next week to its original home in the village of Wayne.
The relocation of the Wayne Depot is the result of more than a year of fundraising by local preservationists who plan to convert the structure into a community hall and museum.
On Tuesday, the depot will be loaded onto a platform at its current location near the intersection of Dunham and Army Trail roads, then hauled east on Army Trail Road to its original spot on the south side of the road, just west of the railroad tracks.
The move is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. and should take about three hours.
The Wayne Historic Preservation Society raised about $140,000 to pay for the relocation and do preliminary refurbishing. Society members hope to finish enough improvements over the next several months to open the depot for public tours and other functions.
"We don't want it to linger unusable for any length of time; our goal is to get it going," said member Ann Issel.
It will be at least a year, though, before the structure is being used to its full capacity. Preservationists still need about $300,000 to complete the project and are counting on more donations.
When all is said and done, the depot will have heat, electricity and running water. It will operate as a local history museum and a space for community functions.
Designed by Frost and Cobb Architects of Chicago, the depot opened in 1884 on the west side of the Chicago and North Western railroad tracks, just south of Army Trail Road. It closed in 1950 and was moved two years later to the property known as Dunham Castle, where it has been used as a garage and outbuilding for decades.
Issel said local history buffs have long dreamed of returning the depot to its original home and preserving it for future generations.
"It really is a labor of love for some of these people," she said. "They've wanted this forever."
Want to watch?
You should be able to see the historic Wayne Depot take a ride on Army Trail Road between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Weather permitting, the structure will be loaded onto a platform near the intersection of Dunham and Army Trail roads, then hauled east to its home on the south side of Army Trail Road, just west of the Chicago and North Western railroad tracks.