Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch will be joined by other Town Board members and local legislators to unveil a National Historic Transportation Marker at the site of its railroad depot at Kings Station Park, 4000 State Route 9N, at noon on August 9 during the annual Caboose Day celebration.
Town Historian Duane Cornell applied and received the William G. Pomeroy Foundation’s Historic Transportation Marker Grant Program, which commemorates the historical significance of transportation in the United States. It is the first marker of its kind in Greenfield. The train depot was built in 1887 and served as a passenger and freight station until it closed in 1933. Lumber, cord wood and grains were shipped out and goods for local stores were shipped into this station. The Kings Station train depot originally sat up the hill aside the railroad tracks but was moved to its current park location in 1933. It was restored in the 1990s when it was paired with a historic caboose.
The park serves as a landmark, as it sits between Greenfield’s main thoroughfare Route 9N and Porter Corners Rd. It serves as a reminder of the importance the railroad played in town history dating back to the 1800s, when it was used to transport summer tourists and to service the lumber and paper industries throughout the Adirondacks. The park comes to life each August with its Caboose Day, sponsored by the Greenfield Historical Society, when residents gather to tour the facility in a festive setting with food, beverage and local vendors. Caboose Day will be August 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“We are pleased that our caboose is being honored in this way,” said Town Supervisor Kevin Veitch. “Historic markers help educate the public and build the pride we have for our special town. It is important for us to both respect the history that made us who we are today.”
“At the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, we are proud to help communities across the country celebrate local history through our historical marker grant programs,” said Bill Brower, executive director of the Pomeroy Foundation. “The Kings Station depot is a meaningful part of Greenfield’s heritage and an important reminder of how transportation developments shaped the region’s identity. This new Historic Transportation marker helps preserve that story and highlights the town’s dedication to honoring its past. We hope it also inspires others to amplify the unique history found in their own communities with Pomeroy Markers.”
The William G. Pomeroy Foundation® is a private, philanthropic organization located in Syracuse, N.Y. In 2006, The Pomeroy Foundation offers multiple historic marker grant programs representing a wide variety of themes such as folklore, food history, and historic transportation. The foundation has awarded more than 2,800 grants for markers and bronze plaques in 49 states and Washington, D.C
The Town of Greenfield has two other markers from the Pomeroy Foundation, including one at the intersection of Middle Grove Rd. and Mill Rd. for Native American-craftsman Sam Hill and one at 272 Ormsbee Rd. that recognizes Revolutionary War Patriots who were laid to rest in Saratoga County;. The new sign at Kings Park says “Built 1887 by Adirondack Railway for Freight and Passenger Service Station. Closed 1933. Restored 1990 by the Greenfield Historical Society.”
The Town of Greenfield, N.Y. is home to 8,200 residents in Greenfield, Porter Corners and Middle Grove. It spans more than 41,000 acres of land bordering the Adirondacks.
