The Virginia Central Railroad extended westward from
Charlottesville to Staunton and on to Clifton Forge by 1854.
Also in the 1850s, the Covington & Ohio Railroad was under
construction to connect the railroad system to the Ohio River.
The Civil War stopped the construction and the two rail systems
were not connected until additional capital was secured for the
necessary construction.

Financier Collis P Huntington, who had just completed part of
the Transcontinental Railroad, funded this eastern link into what
he hoped would be a coast-to-coast railroad
The Virginia Central and the Covington & Ohio
were combined
and re-chartered as the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. The
original railroad had begun at milepost 0 at Ft. Monroe at
Old Point Comfort near Hampton, Virginia, and thus the
name Chesapeake.

The Staunton railroad facility currently has buildings and
structures from several eras and it represents one of the most
complete complexes of the early 20th century. The present
passenger depot and the covered concourse date from 1906 and
the depot is the fourth station on the site. At the same time, a
separate brick baggage building was constructed next to the new
station and the old wooden pedestrian bridge was replaced with
the iron truss bridge that remains today.

The red brick section of the freight depot is the oldest part of the
complex and dates to 1861. The wooden office addition to the
freight depot was put up in the 1904. The signal and telegraph
tower was constructed in the 1890s and the second floor added
by 1905. The water tank on the side of Sears Hill across the
tracks dates from the steam engine era and was in place by 1903.

Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.

Show me all markers in:  Staunton, VA  |  24401  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

Sears Hill Bridge
Staunton's Wharf Historic District History
Main Passenger Terminal
Barnas Sears, Woodrow Park, & Sears Hill Neighborhood
Staunton
Dr. Alexander Humphreys
Augusta County World War I Memorial Tablet
Augusta County
Lewis Creek Watershed
Dr. William Fleming

• GPX
• KML
• LOC

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.