Historic Train Station to Get Much Needed Makeover

The king and queen of England stopped here on their way to a world's fair, Historic Preservation Commission Chairman George Bowden, and so has President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the other Roosevelt, Teddy. It’s an iconic Red Bank symbol, but over the years its been neglected and has started to decay.

There’s positive news for the borough’s train station, however, specifically its salmon-colored depot, which shows its age through it’s cracked and peeling siding and broken and boarded up windows. According to Councilman Ed Zipprich, after nearly a decade of discussion and planning, New Jersey Transit is will begin restoration work on the station within the week.

“It’s one of only three stick-built stations left in New Jersey and it still operates as a station to this day,” Zipprich said. “The Historic Preservation Commission has been vigilant, working with NJ Transit to make sure it happens.”

The project, estimated at more than $1 million, includes a complete stripping and repainting job, as well as a new roof and other cosmetic improvements. Red Bank is not contributing to the restoration, Zipprich said.

The more than a century-old depot has fallen into disrepair over the past few years, much to the disappointment of Bowden, who said for many visitors to Red Bank, the beautiful but deteriorating depot is the first thing they see.

“It’s really one of the outstanding railroad depots in the state,” he said. “It has a fantastic background and we’ve been working hard over the past few years to get it back into a decent condition.

“Historically, it’s been one of the eye-draws of Red Bank and it’s really one of the focal points for people coming in. It’s a key location in Red Bank.”