A Gallery · Frenches Station Estate

History Preserved

From the circa-1910 depot to the 2001 dismantling that saved its 175 year-old lumber board by board — the story of Frenches Station, in photographs.

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The one-room 1840 schoolhouse, weathered and standing in the woods.
The schoolhouse, built 1840
Archival photograph of the original rail depot with a boxcar, circa 1910.
The depot, circa 1910
A young girl standing outside the Cash Variety Store and post office, circa 1910.
The Cash Variety Store & post office
A Frenches Station family outside the Cash Variety Store and post office, circa 1910.
A Frenches Station family, circa 1910
A group photo outside the French store, with a Coca-Cola advertisement on the gable.
The French store, with the whole town out front
The old post office building abandoned in the woods beside the tracks, before dismantling.
Abandoned, before it was saved
The old building standing abandoned in the woods, overgrown before dismantling.
Waiting, before the lumber was saved
The Victor Smith homestead under snow, destroyed by a squatter's fire in the 1970s.
The Victor Smith homestead, under snow
The building as seen in the 1970s, overgrown beside the railroad tracks.
The building, in the 1970s
The old building still standing beside the gravel road, before dismantling began.
Still standing, roadside
The old general store and post office mid-dismantling in 2001, lumber being salvaged by hand.
Salvaging the old lumber, 2001
The building mid-dismantling in 2001, its frame exposed among the trees.
The frame, exposed
Salvaged lumber and roofing laid out on the ground during dismantling.
Laid out for the climb up the mountain
The 1840 schoolhouse in full autumn foliage.
The schoolhouse, in autumn
A CSX freight train running the tracks through the mountains, autumn trees around it.
Still running, nearly 200 years later
Railroad tracks disappearing into mist between forested mountains.
The tracks, in the fog