Millwood Station to be torn down

Millwood Station status has taken a turn for the worse: http://chappaqua.patch.com/articles/mil ... considered

Larry Rotta, a member of the family that owns the old Millwood train station, has applied for a permit to demolish the structure, New Castle Building Inspector William Maskiell confirmed.

Last fall, Rotta's father, Leo Rotta told the town of his intention to tear down the structure. Leo Rotta died in December and ownership of the property went to his children and wife. In recent months, the family had considered salvaging the structure, which is part of the former Putnam rail line that operated through Millwood from 1888 to 1958. The right of way of the former line now serves at the North County Trailway bike path.

In January, Paulette Rotta Beldotti, Rotta's sister and co-owner of the site, told Patch about alternatives such as donating the station to the town or moving it onto another part of family property. She could not be reached for comment.

Can't get worse than this: http://pleasantville.patch.com/articles ... demolished

Millwood's train station is no more. The red building that onces served the old Putnam railroad line was demolished on Wednesday morning after much discussion about saving it failed to come to fruition.

...

Fiorito said the station was in bad shape. He noted that rotten and previously burnt beams were discovered inside the building.

"It was so rotten" he said.

Fiorito described examples of beams that were eaten most of the way through by insects.

The demolition marks the end of the storied structure, which was originally built for Briarcliff Manor's stop along the Putnam Line and moved to Millwood in 1909, according to an Images of America series book on New Castle's history that includes records from the town's historical society. The Putnam Line, which ran through Millwood beginning in the 1880s, ceased providing passenger service in 1958, according to records. The right of way for the line is now the adjacent North County Trailway for bike riders.

The events leading up to the demolition were set in motion 11 months ago, when members of the Millwood Task Force, feeling that the old building was dilapidated, called for the building to either be renovated or torn down. The group's call led the town's building department to request either scenario, with them being preferable to the status quo.

The deed is done,one can hope the student crew at BOCES-Yorktown can build a proper replacement.
At least Yorktown still stands.

Posted to the Facebook group Loco for Trains and Trolley posted by a Ms. Heyner:

http://railfan.com/extraboard/rf_extra_jun2012.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here today, gone tomorrow. No truer words have been spoken, especially in the world of railroading. Over the last 75 years or so, the railroad industry has merged and contracted, abandoning redundant lines and shedding excess infrastructure. No longer does every town in America have a depot, those days are long behind us. More often than not, the local train station has been sold off and repurposed for some other use. Some live on as ice cream stands and coffee shops, or depending on the size, libraries and community centers. Some continue to make their living as office space, while still others service as unique residences.

Otto Vondrak wrote:http://railfan.com/extraboard/rf_extra_jun2012.php

Nice article. Are you any relation to the author?

I also passed by the station when it was extant but without tracks. I'm young enough to remember the "Put" when it was two pieces; the southern part that ran as far north as Elmsford above 119 and the A&P warehouse, having to stop once at the crossing for an infrequent freight. I remember going past where the Yonkers Avenue station was over the Cross County Parkway to visit cousins. And I remember in the late 60's early 70's visiting family friends in Carmel, and hearing the train in the distance.

Years later, I remember visiting the remains of the Put in Mahopac in the early 80's when still dating my later wife; the bridge abutments over Route 6 in Carmel; the ROW along some of the back roads between there and Mahopac. No trail yet; should have grabbed some souvenirs before it was cleaned up!

The middle was never going to be anything; it's all NYC watershed property, never to be developed, and only a few small villages. But it would have been nice to have preserved some of it for rail use; up to "La Stazione" in Elmsford at 119; and maybe from "Put Junction" up to Mahopac or some part of the "Around the Horn" route. Like some of the NYW&B, it just wasn't meant to be.

Anyway, in all seriousness, nice write-up of the station. I think the neglect was more malignant than benign; they wanted the station gone, and they got what they wanted. We've seen it elsewhere. Thankfully, stations along the NH main have suffered better fates than a lot of the New York Central stations.