Barker Station Fire - 1/20/19

The former NYC station in Barker, used in recent years as the town hall and Library, was destroyed last night in a fire which started shortly before midnight. Although modified with new door and window openings and sporting a coat of red paint, the building clearly showed its origin as a classic RW&O combination station complete with board and battan siding.

https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/21/fire ... town-hall/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Barker Public Library and Barker Village Hall were destroyed by fire overnight, according to the Niagara County Sheriff's Office. Both the library and Village Hall were located in the same building at 8706 Main St., Barker. "The entire building is a complete loss," stated the sheriff's office report. There were no injuries.

https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/cr ... 6e042.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported that the 911 call center began receiving calls about 11:55 p.m. Sunday regarding flames visible from the building housing the village's library and village hall at 8706 Main St. about 11:55 p.m. Sunday.

-otto-

https://buffalonews.com/2019/01/21/fire ... town-hall/

Nellist said he does not know how much will be covered by insurance, for a simple reason: "All of our records were inside."

What not to tell your insurance company.
Hopefully when they rebuild they will include a fire alarm and a sprinkler.

Maybe they had electronic versions off-site...

When the diner burned in Castile NY (on the Erie), the village lost all their paperwork. Most small towns don't have much stuff in computer format.

Old & Weary wrote:The former NYC station in Barker, used in recent years as the town hall and Library, was destroyed last night in a fire which started shortly before midnight. Although modified with new door and window openings and sporting a coat of red paint, the building clearly showed its origin as a classic RW&O combination station complete with board and battan siding.

I am quite sure that the now former Barker Library/ Town Hall was not the old NYC station. I believe that it was the same site. Not the same building.

The village's own website - http://www.villageofbarker.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - states it is the former station. What's more, the website Existing Railroad Stations in New York State has a photo copyrighted in l990 which shows the building already modified in the condition it was until recently. Before this, when i had a change to look it over sitting vacant, it was the same building in old New York Central colors sans the doors, windows, and red paint sitting in the same orientation.

Correction: I should have given the photo copyright date as 1999 not l990.

Absolutely everyone else is sure it was the depot.

There has been a GoFundMe established https://www.gofundme.com/rebuild-our-ba ... Tez6kXv--E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;