DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — The historic Ahnapee and Western depot has been vacant now the building might be removed from the property.
- The historic Ahnapee and Western Depot is located on Third Avenue.
- The Door County Museum manager and archivist explain the history of the depot.
- Matthew Hutson a member of the Historical Preservation Commission describes what would happen if the building is moved.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
From the outside, it doesn't look like much but if the old Ahnapee and Western Train Depot could talk, the stories of what it's seen would be endless.
"I think the trains had a lot of different uses, we have to remember during this time the roadway wasn't fully developed," Joe Taylor the manager of the Door County Museum said.
The depot was used in both World War I and World War II as a point for the military to send troops to training. Built in 1914, it connected riders from green bay and Algoma and even Milwaukee to Sturgeon Bay.
But now that history might be in trouble.
The Depot's owner Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding may try to move the building to make way for a paint shop and that's something that doesn't sit right with some.
"We had a petition by the sturgeon bay historical society to nominate the train depot for historical significance" Matthew Huston a member of the Historical Preservation Commission said.
During the meeting Wednesday night community members made sure they came out to support the nomination.
"In order to save it, it has to be saved by Bayship since they're the property owner, designated as a historical building or we have to have it moved to another location and saved that way" Hutson said.
A public meeting on the nomination will be held soon and Fincatieri is expected to speak and present its case.
For Matt Adelman the County's Archivist it's a no-brainier.
"Everybody talks about tourism, that really is essential to how door county and sturgeon bay was growing" Adelman said.
NBC26 reached out to Fincatieri to see what the plan for the land where the depot currently sits but haven't heard back yet.
