Mystic station (Connecticut)

The New Haven, New London and Stonington Railroad opened from Stonington to Groton in December 1858 and was shortly thereafter acquired by the New York, Providence and Boston Railroad.[2] A wooden depot, similar to those still extant at West Mystic and Noank, was constructed.[3] The station burned on July 4, 1866 due to Independence Day celebrations; it was soon replaced.[4]

Mystic station on a 1910 postcard

A new station was built in 1905 by the New Haven Railroad.[3][5] The station is primarily wood on a brown brick base, with Georgian Revival architectural elements such as Palladian windows on the east and west facades. It is clad in wood shingles, which had become popular in New England in the late 19th century as a result of interest in colonial history.[5][3] Franklin/Dean College station in Massachusetts was built to a similar design in 1912.[3] The eastern half of the station was a waiting room for passengers, while the western half was a baggage room with few windows.[5] The 1866-built station was repurposed as a freight house.[4]

The station was built with a lengthy gabled canopy which stretched both directions along the platform. The canopy was destroyed in September 1938 by the 1938 New England hurricane; the station was damaged but repaired.[5][3] The station was used as a model for the American Flyer toy train station beginning in the mid-20th century and lasting over 50 years.[3][6]

The New Haven Railroad folded into Penn Central in 1969, and passenger operations transferred to Amtrak on May 1, 1971. The station was in poor shape and closed to passengers; although ownership was uncertain, the property was claimed by Amtrak.[5] It was resumed as a station stop in 1974, but no passenger facilities were available.[7]

Mystic station in August 1972. At that time the station was closed to passengers, though Amtrak claimed ownership.

In 1976, a group of local residents formed Mystic Depot, Inc. to renovate and reopen the building. They received $40,000 from Amtrak, $15,000 from the state, and raised $36,000 from donations and memorabilia sales. Work began in late 1977 and the station was finished in April 1978. The Mystic Garden Club landscaped the station grounds.[5] The station was restored to a typical mustard and maroon paint scheme.[8] Amtrak leased the station to Mystic Depot, Inc. for $1.00 annually.[3] The rails were moved slightly away from the station building in 1981 when the Mystic River bridge to the west was rebuilt on a new alignment.[3] A wooden shelter was built around 1986 for eastbound passengers.[3]

In 2001, the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce began operating a tourist center in the station.[3] The waiting room and a ticket machine were available to passengers, and the station was staffed by volunteers. After the Chamber's lease expired, the station building was closed on March 15, 2015, though Amtrak service continued.[9] Three proposals were submitted for reuse; a Rhode Island-based company won the lease in June 2015 to use the building as a cafe and gift shop.[10] The new leasees began renovating the exterior in late 2015; the Mystic Planning and Zoning Commission approved the interior plan in December 2015.[11] The shop, Mystic Depot Roasters, has seating and a ticket machine for Amtrak passengers; it opened on September 30, 2016.[12][13]

Weekday stopping service was scheduled to increase from three northbound and two southbound trains to five northbound and six southbound trains on March 16, 2020.[14] However, on that date Amtrak temporarily reduced Northeast Corridor service due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15]