Raritan River Railroad's last train station is in Milltown. Can it be saved?

MILLTOWN – The Milltown Historical Society and the Raritan River Railroad Historical Society have rekindled efforts to move and restore the borough's only train station, the last existing Raritan River Railroad station.

"It's still in great shape, considering it’s been neglected for 30 years," said James Reid, treasurer of the Milltown Historical Society and former owner of Frosty Air Automotive in Milltown. "At this point, if something’s not done, we’re going to lose it."

A holiday train display to raise funds for the project is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at the American Legion Post No. 25, 4 JFK Drive. This year's theme is "The Polar Express."

The event will feature a visit from Santa from 1 to 2 p.m., holiday tree displays, a chance for children to win a prize, refreshments and items for sale.

Plans for the station will also be on display.

The cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children under 10 and $5 for seniors and veterans. The cost for families of five or more is $20.

Reid, a model train enthusiast, will be preparing several model train displays for the event.

He also has a special place in his heart for the Raritan River Railroad.

“I literally grew up playing on those tracks,” he said. “During the summer vacations, we’d spend a lot of time down there. The engineers were really cool guys, and they knew we were in love with the trains, and they’d let us come up and give us a ride on the train.”

After seeing several other stations demolished or destroyed by fire, Reid is hoping to help ensure the last station remains for future generations.

The idea for the project was conceived more than a decade ago when Reid was approached by attorney James Curran, who owns the station property on Washington Avenue.

Reid said Curran, a friend, would love for the Milltown Historical Society to take the train station and restore it.

That's how Reid became involved with the Milltown Historical Society.

He took the idea to Kathy Heilman, then president of the Milltown Historical Society, who jumped at the opportunity to spearhead the project.

The Raritan River Railroad Historical Society soon partnered with the historical society to bring the plan to fruition.

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Changes in the Milltown Historical Society's membership and the pandemic put the project on hold, but the group is renewing its effort.

"We're planning on having the station moved across Washington Avenue to Green Acres property," Reid said. "The renovation and preservation work will occur later."

Besides fundraising, the group will also be applying for grants.

The train station, which is the second at the site,was built in 1916, said Ken Durrua, vice president of the Raritan River Railroad Historical Society, which is also the Raritan River chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

"It was originally built as a passenger station and was used for passenger service until 1937," said Durrua, who grew up in Sayreville. "Railroads began to suffer in the 1930s and ‘40s with the advent of cars, buses and trucks. The passenger service was eliminated, and the station was moved and lifted up to a height for a freight loading dock. From 1938 it was used as a freight station until it was completely closed in 1980 upon Conrail taking over the railroad."

The interior is pretty much intact and some interesting aspects from the passenger station era remain, he said.

"It's a last chance opportunity to save an important historical asset not only to fans of the Raritan River Railroad, but the people of Milltown," he said.

Durrua said the rail station "helped Milltown and its industries grow."

"It really played a huge role in Milltown's success as a community," he said. "It attracted commerce to the town. The railroad was a major transporter of commuters, who came to work in the borough, and some even moved to Milltown. There was no other railroad service in Milltown, so from a small-town standpoint, it was definitely a major asset to have a railroad station in your town. In the past, railroad stations were the centerpiece of transportation for the community."

To date, about $20,000 has been raised for the project, Durrua said.

Some of the money was used for a new roof, which ended up costing half of the estimate due to donations of materials and labor, and some was used for civil and architectural drawings.

"We had a lot of volunteers, and a lot of businesses went over and above to help us and saved us a fortune," Reid said.

Early next year, the group hopes to get a renewed resolution of support from the Borough Council, Durrua said.

A resolution of support was previously received from the Borough Council, but it needs to be renewed to obtain grants and funding, he said.

"We're not looking for this to come at any cost to the borough," Durrua said. "We are the fundraising arm for that."

Anyone wishing to donate to the project may send a check, specifying the funds are earmarked for the railroad restoration project, to the Milltown Historical Society, PO Box 96, Milltown, NJ 08850, or call Reid at 732-406-6711.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.