Built in 1890 at a construction cost of $15,000, this building was sold to private owners in 1980 and converted to be used as offices. When the station was being constructed, it was built using light grey Jersey sandstone obtained from a Stockholm (NJ) quarry. According to the Somerset Messenger Gazette, a local newspaper back then, they described some of the festivities that took place to mark the station’s grand opening. Somerville’s 1st National Guard unit fired a thirteen shot volley to open the ceremony. The CNJRR gathered all the available locomotives and tied their whistles. 300 torpedoes were placed on the tracks and trains were shuttled back and forth to detonate them. Having lived in the Somerville area for over sixty years, to me the former CNJ train station will always be the station, not the newly renovated platforms constructed by NJT.
Photo 1-is a 1911 postcard view of the station looking north (across the tracks). This view is no longer to be seen as the embankment backs up to the building’s south side.
Note: at some point in time, the CNJ built an embankment to raise the tracks and eliminate grade crossings. More recently, New Jersey Transit (NJT) built high level platfoms on that embankment.
Photo 2- is an elevated view looking down on the station with NJT’s platforms seen in the background. Photo was taken on February 2, 2013.
Photo 3- a view from ground level shows how well maintained the station is. Photo was also taken on February 2, 2013.
