By JULIE CARLE
BG Independent News
The original Weston Depot may be on track to make its way back to Weston from its current location at the Wood County Fairgrounds.
At Thursday night’s Wood County Fair Board meeting, Weston Mayor Jeremy Schroeder and new Councilperson Brittney Klockowski asked the board to allow the depot to be returned to the village.
“The depot is a rich piece of history for Weston and would fit in nicely with the town’s renewed interest in promoting its history and finding opportunities to bring people into the town,” Schroeder said. “We have a spot in town that would be perfect for it close to its original location.”
The time is right thanks to a thriving parks board and a town council that is excited about projects such as bringing the depot back to the village. ”The project would be a driver for getting our historical society back together and something for the town to invest in and take care of,” he added.
The depot, built in 1853, “was one of the first buildings in town,” said Klockowski. “It was an integral part in the start of Weston.” Council is working on programs with Bowling Green State University to document what the railway did for the town and what happened to Weston after it lost the rails, she added.
The depot was moved to the fairgrounds in 1970 through the efforts of a local committee, various businesses and organizations, and then fair board President John Bechstein. The depot was the anchor in a section of the fairgrounds called Pioneer Village, located north of the grandstands and race track.
In 1970, the former Baltimore & Ohio depot’s condition was restored, and it became a museum for historical memorabilia, including Morse code equipment, a rolltop desk, a potbellied stove and miniature railroad displays.
At Thursday’s meeting, the fair board agreed to allow the depot to be moved from the fairgrounds to the village, though no timeframe was given.
Schroeder indicated there is no plan yet to get it moved; he wanted the fair board’s permission before starting the process. He estimated it might take one to two years depending on how quickly the community can raise funds for the move.
Conni Bechstein Grames, whose family has been connected to the project from the beginning, said the move “probably won’t be cheap.” The move in 1970 cost approximately $7,500.
Bob Whitman, also part of the Bechstein family tree, asked the village to consider taking the caboose that sits next to the depot. “I can’t see scrapping it,” he said.
Whitman, Schroeder and Klockowski visited the depot after the meeting. Though its condition needs work, such as broken ceiling tiles and paint, Schroeder said he’s excited about the potential for the building and looks forward to returning the depot to Weston.
