(rshsdepot) Oradell, NJ

[jdent1_@_optonline.net]

From the Hackesack, NJ Record

Victorian time travel   
Friday, October 17, 2003 

By CATHERINE HOLAHAN
STAFF WRITER 

At the borough railroad station, a one-way adult ticket to Secaucus costs between $4 and $6. The trip back in time is free of charge.

Constructed in 1890 and modified several times over the past century, the train station has been restored to its Victorian-era appearance thanks to a two-year effort by the borough and the state Department of Transportation.

A dedication ceremony is planned for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Oradell Avenue station.

"It's a beautiful railroad station and we are thrilled," Mayor Frederick T. LaMonica said. "It's a showcase and a historic landmark."

The $550,000 restoration was paid for with two state historic preservation grants totaling $330,000 and borough funds.

Wells Associates Chartered Architectural and Master Planning designed the restoration plans after scrutinizing photos of the wooden-shingled building dating from the turn of the century to the 1940s. Among the most difficult - and expensive - parts of the design was restoring copper posts in the roof called finials.

Before aluminum and other rust-resistant metals were developed, copper was considered among the best materials for building because it is naturally rust-resistant, said Larry Dalziel, vice president of Wells, who worked on the construction phase of the restoration. But today copper is too expensive for use in most buildings.

"Back in the early days copper was one of the best weathering materials. Steel rusts and they didn't have a lot of high-tech coatings," Dalziel said. "It's cost-prohibitive to use in many buildings today."

Copper is also used for the station's gutters and roof moldings. The building's copper elements alone cost more than $85,000.

Other work included the restoration of a carriage portico. In the station's early days, the portico sheltered train riders from the elements as they exited their carriages.

In repainting the station, contractors first chipped away to the original paint and matched the color.

Turn-of-the century passengers would often take the train from Oradell to the ferry dock at Chambers Street in Manhattan, according to the Railroad Station Historical Society. The trip took one hour, with stops in New Milford, River Edge, North Hackensack, Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Wood-Ridge, Carlstadt, and Jersey City along the way.

Nineteenth century passengers could also buy goods in station shops. LaMonica said the borough is negotiating with local vendors to set up shops in the station.

To celebrate the site's history, borough officials are encouraging people to wear Victorian-era costumes to Sunday's celebration. For entertainment, the borough has also invited a not-so-Victorian barbershop quartet from the Blue Chip Chorus to perform.

Doughnuts, apple cider, ice cream, and station souvenirs will be sold Sunday to help raise money to buy and install a Victorian-era street clock at the station.

E-mail: holahan_@_northjersey.com



=================================
The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

------------------------------