Copake Train Depot
Built in 1876 for the Rhinebeck & Connecticut Railroad Company, this small, no-frills passenger station is an increasingly rare example of a rural railroad station in the Hudson Valley. The building originally served as both a passenger and freight depot with a waiting room and office. A separate freight house was added in 1913, connected by a small covered ramp.
The Copake depot is one of only seven depots built for the Rhinebeck & Connecticut railroad, and the only one remaining that has not been demolished or substantially altered. In January 2024 we achieved listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and the restoration has begun to bring the depot back to its original appearance, while thoughtfully converting it to a residence.
1880s, with Hartford & Connecticut Western No. 17 engine at the station and milk cans on the platform
“The Rhinebeck and Connecticut Railroad Company have erected a new depot at Copake. The structure is small, but neat in appearance.”
— Red Hook Journal, July 21, 1876
Shortly after the station was built, two corners of the roof eaves were cut back after being hit by jostling train cars. The track that supplied freight to several small businesses behind the station was so uneven that passing freight cars rocked side-to-side, striking the station as they passed by.
Copake depot with clipped eaves, October 2021
Local industry
Opened in 1875, the Rhinebeck & Connecticut Railroad was originally conceived to expand the Pennsylvania coal market to Hartford, Connecticut. It soon became an important means of transporting Hudson Valley farm products to urban markets. In particular, it significantly bolstered the local dairy industry. A Borden’s creamery was built across the road from the Copake depot, which depended on the railroad to receive shipments of milk from local farms on “the milk train” and produced butter, pasteurized milk and cheese for the growing populations of New York and other cities.
Other businesses located adjacent to the Copake depot included a hay mill and a Socony-Vacuum service station. A major development after World War I was the establishment of a new lumber, coal and hay business, Bristol Lumber. The lumberyard eventually occupied most of the outbuildings on the property, and survived the closing of the railroad in 1938 by many years, finally closing in 1994 and ending all activity at the site¹. Today, no evidence of the creamery, lumberyard or any other businesses remain.
¹ Douglas Goodhue, The Columbia Paper, March 2, 2012
Copake Depot with lumber and coal sheds (now gone) in distance at left, 1932. Heyward Cohen Collection.
Borden’s creamery, formerly across the road from the depot. Photo from 1909 postcard.
Summer in the countryside
Passenger service was also popular on the Rhinebeck & Connecticut Railroad, with Copake serving as a stop on the way to Massachusetts’s Mount Washington or as a destination in itself. Many railroads published travel guides to advertise local attractions along the line and summer homes available for lodging. Some local farmers established an additional revenue stream by opening their houses to vacationers from New York City seeking a summer escape.
“In the vicinity of Copake there is excellent trout fishing, also pleasant drives and delightful scenery in every direction.”
— Philadelphia, Reading & New England Railroad, Summer Homes among the Mountains, 1894
Copake postcards, circa 1910s. Holsapple House from Roeliff Jansen Historical Society, Bash Bish Falls from Mount Washington Historical Society.
Six railroads in 66 years
The Rhinebeck & Connecticut railroad constructed a forty-two-mile line, which began in Rhinecliff on the Hudson River and terminated at Boston Corners, NY, where trackage rights extended service to Connecticut. Like many railroads of the period, it was never very profitable.
Over its lifespan, the railroad had six different owners. The longest-lasting owner was the Central New England, from 1889 through 1927, and as a result it is generally known as the CNE today. The railroad lasted a total of 66 years, struggling during the Great Depression before it was abandoned in 1938. At that time, the tracks were torn up and the land sold to private owners.
1872 - Rhinebeck & Connecticut Railroad
1882 - Hartford & Connecticut Western Railroad
1889 - Central New England & Western Railroad
1892 - Philadelphia, Reading & New England Railroad
1899 - Central New England Railway
1927 - New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
1938 - abandoned
Red Hook Journal, July 21, 1876
Our vision
For decades, the Copake depot has been sitting quietly at the entrance to the hamlet, abandoned and overgrown, the only remaining evidence of the bustling commercial hub it once was.
We purchased the property in 2021, and are committed to the painstaking process of restoring this little depot back to its former glory. One day (hopefully) soon the depot will become a cosy vacation rental, filled with memories of the past, and once again a place for locals and visitors alike to gather and create new memories.
We’re not undertaking this journey alone! Thank you to our exceptional team, including:
Historic preservation: Worth Preserving
Architecture: Preservation Architecture
Interior design: Upstate Interiors
Landscape design: Hortulus Animae
National Register nomination: Marissa Marvelli
Structural stabilization: Hudson Valley Timberworks & Restoration
…and many others. Thank you, we couldn’t do it without you.
Passenger depot, June 2021
Freight house, February 2022
Press
School, old rail depot nominated for historic registers
Times Union, December 2023
Worth Preserving Turns Fixer-Uppers Into Statement Homes
Hudson Valley Magazine, March 2022
...preservation is not for the weak or impatient. [Kate] Wood says one of her first jobs with clients is to assess whether they will be able to roll with the uncertainties of what’s ahead. She’s currently working on an old train depot in Copake, turning it into a residence while protecting its history. She calls the owner “intrepid,” and says the restoration is getting into deep technical territory... The shared values and work ethic are what makes a project like this work, says Wood.
The realities of restoring an old home
Times Union, August 2021
Depot, June 2022
Depot, November 2022
Depot shortly before abandonment, 1937
Mismatched front doors, December 2021. Photo credit: Hudson Valley Ruins.
Freight house, 1917
Freight house, July 2021
Depot, February 2022
Loading freight onto a train, 1920
Office in the passenger depot, December 2021. Photo credit: Hudson Valley Ruins.
Waiting room in the passenger depot, February 2021
Original railroad waybills discovered in the ceiling of the depot
Ramp from the passenger depot to freight house, December 2021. Photo credit: Hudson Valley Ruins.
Inside the freight house, July 2021
Stabilization begins on the freight house, November 2023
View of the Taconics from the depot, October 2023
Depot, 1957. Bristol Lumber office on left, lumberyard buidings behind depot on right. Photo credit: Howard Gibson collection.
Central New England & Western Railroad map, 1890