Old railroad station first on panel's agenda
Committee seeks support for relocation, restoration of depot
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

JESSICA SMITH The former Raritan River Railroad station near Washington Avenue is one of the last still standing from the rail line.

MILLTOWN - The borough's newly formed Historic Preservation Advisory Committee is looking to save a piece of the Raritan River Railroad's legacy.

One of the last standing stations on the historic line, the Washington Avenue depot has become a recent focus of the committee's efforts.

"I think it's a fantastic idea, and I fully support it," said Councilman Eric Steeber, who sits on the advisory committee. "They're already off and running. They have a lot of good ideas."

The railroad started in 1888, carrying passengers and cargo from South Amboy to New Brunswick, and playing a major role in the development of the area. While only 12 miles in length, the line also had many sidings, or off-shoots from the main track, that led into various towns.

"The Raritan River Railroad, during its heyday, was the most profitable railroad in the country per linear mile," Steeber said.

Servicing companies such as Michelin Tire, which stood at the now-controversial Ford Avenue redevelopment site, and the Sayre and Fisher Brick Co. that became Sayreville's namesake, the railroad was an integral tool of commerce.

Steeber noted that the trains brought Sayre and Fisher bricks into New York, and that a large portion of Manhattan was built from them. The largest brick company in the region, by 1878 they were producing 178 million bricks per year. The base of the Statue of Liberty was built with Sayre and Fisher bricks.

Featured in a 1914 silent movie serial, the railroad also got a taste of stardom. An episode of the widely popular film titled "The Perils of Pauline" was staged on the line, including the construction of a bridge over Ducks Nest Pond in Sayreville to be blown up with the train atop it.

The episode was titled "The Juggernaut."

Historical Preservation Advisory Committee Chairwoman Stacey Waters asked the mayor and council in writing for their assistance in saving the station, and the council plans to discuss the issue at its next meeting. The committee aims to relocate the station, which sits next to the tracks on the property of attorney James M. Curran, across Washington Avenue to the county-designated open space.

From there, it would like to see it restored, then converted to a museum that would house artifacts and information about the history of the line. Steeber said it could also include information on the numerous manufacturing

corporations serviced by the railroad. The New Jersey Museum on Railroading would also be invited to contribute to the museum, Steeber said. He also expressed interest in obtaining a copy of "The Perils of Pauline" for the public to view there.

For the project to work, the committee would need the cooperation of several parties. Curran would have to agree to donate the structure, which he now uses for storage, to the township.

"I might consider donating it to them," Curran said.

Middlesex County officials would have to agree to have the building placed on the open space land, assuming it is structurally sound enough to withstand the move. If all goes smoothly with those processes, the committee has proposed requesting the help of students from the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical High School, East Brunswick, for the restoration work.

"There's a lot to it, but it's certainly a piece of Milltown's history that should be saved," Mayor Gloria Bradford said.

The committee has asked the borough engineer to briefly review the process and come up with an estimate of what the costs would be, and said they will try to secure grant funding for the project.