Middletown Depot Restoration Project
May 2026
By Dan Myers
I had a chance to stop by the Middletown station on May 7th to take a few photos and check on the status of the renovations. I thought members would like to see some photos of the renovations that were mentioned during the last meeting. Low Avenue, named for Judge Henry R. Low, passes beside the station on the west side. Low Av. is closed during this phase of the renovation so photos of the station’s west side are hard to obtain.
A year or so ago I received a call from Al Fusco who is the project engineer on the job. Al called me for information at the request of Middletown’s mayor. I told Mr. Fusco that our archive has the original drawings of the station but was still happy to answer his questions and ask a few of my own! As it turns out, Al’s family worked for the O&W and Al attended Middletown High School with our own Jeff Otto.
The framework built around the south tower was my first question for Mr. Fusco. Al noted that the frame work wasn’t just a scaffold, it was an exoskeleton. The framework, fabricated from heavy I-beams is intended to stabilize and support the south tower during reconstruction. We also discussed the missing clock, pairs of large conical copper finials from the towers and the station’s unique train order signal. I provided Al with 2003 and 2007 (attached) photos of the finials and clock which were stolen.
The AV station’s clock was comprised of a large circle of translucent white glass with a sheet metal “stencil” forming the clock face itself. The clock was illuminated at night from the rear through the white glass. The clock hands were made of wood. The exterior of the clock was protected with “chicken wire” to prevent someone from breaking the glass circle which was approximately four feet in diameter.
The clock face was stolen between my enclosed 2003 & 2007 photos. The mechanical “works” of the clock disappeared many years ago. The clock’s works were housed in a separate “clock room” on the third floor. I suggested that the sheet metal clock face “stencil” could be reproduced from photographs by a local sheet metal shop on Montgomery St. I should note that some of the society’s very first meetings were held in the station’s “clock room”!
We also discussed the station’s unique electric train order signal and the need to restore the station platform roof with the necessary supports to hold the signal if there was a desire to return the now-restored signal to the platform. At this writing, I have no idea whether they intend to reinforce the platform roof or re-install the signal which has been offered to them.
Today, the entire roof structure from the south tower has been removed as has the decking from the roof of the track side platform and some of its supports. The north tower has been completely removed, saving the original bricks and the worksite cleaned down to the tower’s sandstone base.
Well folks,
It seems like miracles do happen. Our President Joey Senese sent these photos of the first contractors that have arrived at the AV Depot to start restoration work. The City of Middletown has 21M to restore the depot to as historically accurate at possible.
The main tenant will be Middletown’s Head Start Program which is a preschool developmental program for socially & economically disadvantaged 3-5 year olds.
Stay tuned as I will be posting updates and photos as they come to me.
Good things for the depot are on the horizon!
The Above photos were taken between 8-10-24 and 3-3-25