Hopewell Depot Restoration

Our display of ice harvesting tools is growing.

Before mechanical refrigeration was invented, business and railroads depended on winter ice harvested from local ponds. The ice was cut into blocks and stored in well insulated buildings for use during the summer. For example : The Bordens milk plant in Hopewell Junction had an ice house that held 900 tons of ice blocks which would last though the summer.

Our display is not complete yet. We would like to add more tools. Here is a list of what we do not have yet.


Ice ax, ice shaver, ice adze, ice measuring iron, ice pickeroon, small ice picks, splitting fork, hand plow, ice chipper, ice saw, spring scale, splitting awl.


If you have any of these items we would love to add them to our display. If you know of any that are available. let us know or stop around to the Depot on a Saturday. or Sunday.

Perfect blue sky weather brought out the traffic on the Rail Trail today.

New photos and an interpretive text panel have been added to our ice harvesting display.

Some of the visitors today came over from Connecticut.

The Depot will be open again tomorrow 7/26. Stop around and check us out.

Is the railtrail for bikes??

FLRailFan1 wrote:Is the railtrail for bikes??

No, it's for subamarines.

Yes, the Rail Trail is for bikes and non-motorized vehicles.

Arts and Crafts at the Depot again on Saturday, July 11th from 10 – 3. Paintings, jewelry, needlework, baked items and more. In case of rain, will be held Sunday instead. Stop around to the Depot and do some browsing and shopping

Cosmo wrote:

FLRailFan1 wrote:Is the railtrail for bikes??

No, it's for subamarines.

That was a stupid question I did ask. What I meant was if the trail paved..and if horses can use it. Around here a rail trail is for horseback and they trail gets messy...

Bernard Rudberg wrote:Arts and Crafts at the Depot again on Saturday, July 11th from 10 – 3. Paintings, jewelry, needlework, baked items and more. In case of rain, will be held Sunday instead. Stop around to the Depot and do some browsing and shopping

Is there a mistype here? July 11th has passed?

The Tower Crowdfunding effort is now live on CauseVox and we have a Tower page on our web site!

http://hopewelldepot.org/index.php/tower" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Support the Hopewell Depot Tower Build campaign!

Support the Hopewell Depot Tower Build campaign!
Please learn more about our tower fundraising campaign on CauseVox.

http://www.hopewelldepot.crg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Our next big project for the Depot park area is building a replica of the original switch tower that guarded the railroad crossing at the corner of the Depot. building. The plan is to build much needed rest rooms into the lower level for access from the Rail Trail. We have part of the required money in the bank but we need additional funds to make it happen. The tower fund raising drive is now online at the following link,

http://hopewelldepot.causevox.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Check out the link to help us by donating online.

The original tower was built in 1892 and served until 1938 when the former ND&C RR tracks were torn out and sold for scrap to Japan. The track steel became part of the Japanese war machine and the tower was salvaged to build a house on Bridge Street.

Help us out with any amount you can spare. The restrooms are really needed. The nearest restrooms on the Rail Trail are 12 miles away in Poughkeepsie.

A hot sunny day brought out the Rail Trail visitors today. Bottles of cold water and soda were popular.
We also welcomed two new volunteers to help keep the Depot open on weekends.

We had one donation of a Fairbanks hand truck.
The latest addition to our diorama of the Hopewell Junction train yard is a pushbutton sound system.
Stop around and listen to the sound of steam whistles and diesel horns,

The tower fund raising campaign is still underway.
To help us build the tower with much needed restrooms, click on the following link.

http://hopewelldepot.causevox.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hopewell Depot played host to our town police department including railroad history, cookies and lemonade.
Of course there was a hot call and they all ran out the door on duty. Several said they would be back for more of the Depot tour.

Hopewell Depot will be open tomorrow (Sunday 8/23). Everybody is welcome.

The tower fund drive is still on. Check the link below to make your tax deductible donation on line.

http://hopewelldepot.causevox.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The former Pleasant Valley P&E RR station is now a permanent display at the Rhinebeck fairgrounds.
The Fair runs all this week and ends on Sunday August 30. Several members of the Hopewell Depot Restoration will be temporary hosts at the Fair station during the week.
Stop around to the Dutchess County Fair and take a look at the restored Pleasant Valley station. We will be happy to talk to you.

The Hopewell Depot tower fund drive is still on. Check the link below to make your tax deductible donation on line.

http://hopewelldepot.causevox.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Stop around to the Hopewell Depot on Saturday September 5. We will be hosting our monthly Arts and Crafts show.
There will be vendors showing off their wares and musical entertainment.

The weather forecast looks good. Come on down on Saturday.

The Hopewell Depot tower fund drive is still on. Check the link below to make your tax deductible donation on line....


http://hopewelldepot.causevox.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perfect fall weather brought out the foot traffic on the Rail Trail for our Arts and Crafts show.
Rick Soedler provided the musical entertainment with an afternoon of train songs.

The Depot is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 till 4:00.
Stop around and find out why Hopewell Junction had two different train yards,


The Hopewell Depot tower fund drive is still on.
Check the link below to make your tax deductible donation on line....
http://hopewelldepot.causevox.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;