Members of the Buffalo, Lockport, Rochester (BL&R) Trolley Depot Restoration Committee take a short break from their efforts on a rainy afternoon. Construction Supervisor Bud Nichols is the second person from the right, on the ground, the chairman is Bernie Cubitt, the third person from the right, standing on the scaffold. The depot was built around 1908, moved to Amity Street after the trolley line service ended and converted to a home. Part of the effort of the volunteers was the removal of a porch and added room in order to make the historic preservation authentic. According to Bud Nichols, the restoration will take about a year, after which the building will be moved to the Spencerport Village Plaza where it will serve as a community center, providing shower and toilet facilities, for a small fee, to travelers on the Erie Canal. Photograph by Walter Horylev.

Trolley station restoration project

The project to restore the Buffalo, Lockport and Rochester (BLR) Trolley Station in Spencerport and move it to its original location next to the hydroelectric station in the village has begun. Workers are at the site from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays - and more workers would definitely be welcome, according to Bernie Cubitt, chairman of the project.

The station, which had become a private home, needed a lot of work to reclaim its original look. Cubitt said, "The front bedroom (an addition) is completely gone including the floor and foundation. All the asphalt siding is gone on all four sides of the building. The stucco from the windowsills down is gone." Prior to the stucco, wainscoting was on both the inside and outside of the structure. "We are planning on putting the wainscoting back on," Cubitt says. "Now there is bare lumber, and felt will be put over it to protect it from the winter." The window will also be replaced with nine panes over one large pane. The outside cellar entrance has also been taken off. Inside the building, the kitchen cabinets and the bathtub have been removed. Before the station can be moved, a foundation needs to be built on the village site.

Cubitt, who also helped to restore a trolley station in Rush, NY, says that Town Historian Carol Coburn is applying for a county grant to help pay for expenses. The BLR Depot Restoration Committee is also running a fundraiser. The group is selling two types of Kelsam triple-scoop holiday candles. Each candle has three scents and costs $15. The Fall Candle has apple pie, pumpkin pie, and cranberry scents, and the Holiday Candle has pine needle, eggnog and cinnamon. Order blanks can be picked up at the Ogden Town Hall. One can also call the town historian's office at 352-3444 for fundraiser information or to make a donation to the project.