Dedham station explained

Dedham
Style:MBTA
Coordinates:42.2482°N -71.1701°W
Line:Dedham Branch
West Roxbury Branch
Norfolk County Railroad
Dedham Branch (Midland Railroad)
Opened:February 5, 1835[1]
Closed:April 21, 1967
Former:Dedham Center
Other Services Header:Former services

Dedham station (formerly Dedham Center) was a train station located in central Dedham, Massachusetts, at the terminus of the Dedham Branch.

History

The original Dedham station stood near the intersection of Eastern Avenue and High Streets. It opened in February 1835 with the rest of the Dedham Branch. The depot bell was mounted on a tall post at the northeast corner on a projecting gooseneck arm. It was rung 10 minutes before a train was to leave, then again five minutes before, and for a final time at the train's departure. It burned down in 1849, leaving only the walls standing, and it was patched up with boards for temporary use until a new station could be constructed to the south.

A new stone station was built in 1881–1882.[2] It opened in August 1882.[3] The station had a long colonnade of arches facing Eastern Avenue and a bell tower. A red covered bridge would rumble as trains would pass through it.

After April 1966, Dedham station, along with the rest of the Dedham Branch, was part of the MBTA Commuter Rail system; however, it closed just under a year later, putting an end to 132 years of uninterrupted train service to Dedham Square.

See also

Works cited

Notes and References

  1. Book: Boston's Commuter Rail: The First 150 Years. Humphrey, Thomas J.. Clark, Norton D.. amp. Boston Street Railway Association. 1985. 9780685412947. 9, 15, 29–38, 43–46.
  2. Book: Report of the Board of Directors of the Boston and Providence Railroad Corporation for the Year Ending September 30, 1881 . 8 . Boston and Providence Railroad . 1881.
  3. News: Dedham . The Boston Globe . July 14, 1882 . 2 . Newspapers.com.