St. Marys Junction Station

Description

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Who is this boy?

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Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

Photo of the St. Marys Junction Station located at 480 Glass Street. The building was built in 1858 to be used by the Grand Trunk Railway company. An unidentified boy is standing just in front of it.

Reasons for Designation - 1993
(although also designated federally in 1980)
The St. Marys Junction Station was constructed in 1858 under the supervision of the famous Canadian Contractor Sir Casimar Gzowski, as a major station on the Toronto to Sarnia Branch of the Grand Trunk Railway. Local master masons, Alexander McDonald and Francis Anderson, also responsible for the London Railway viaduct in 1857-8, were awarded the contract for its construction.This station follows the model favoured by the Grand Trunk, which includes round-arched openings, a low pitched roof and extended eaves which protected a platform. Remarkably, these openings still contain their original french doors with transoms above; in all the other early stations on the line they have been filled in too sill height and made into windows.
The St. Marys limestone has been beautifully coursed and finished: the corner-stones are alternately smooth and rough-faced. The voussoirs over the door openings have rock-faced keystones. The four massive capped stone chimneys are still in place.

What is most remarkable of all - indeed a unique feature of this station - is the presence of the original interior partitions often with their original paint. Ladies' and Men's waiting rooms and station agent's office are still clearly indicated. Evidence also remains of the telegraph line at which Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor, is said to have worked in 1862-3.
Until World War I the Junction Station was a major shipping point from which local grain and stone was shipped both throughout Ontario and to major centres such as Toronto and Montreal. From/here, as well, cattle and eggs were shipped to England and Scotland. The exporting of these local resources and products of nineteenth century St. Marys.
The St. Marys Junction Station is an extremely rare and important building. Of the few surviving stone stations on the original Grand Trunk line in Ontario, it is the only one which possesses its original interior and exterior design. It is a building important not only to St. Marys but to the entire province.

Notes

Condition: Good. Gloss shows imperfections. Slight yellow/browning around edges.

Dimensions

Width: 12.2 cm
Height: 9 cm

Image Dimensions

Image Width: 11.1cm
Image Height: 7.7cm

Subject(s)

Buildings
Portrait photographs
Railroad stations

Local identifier

1114ph

Collection

St. Marys Museum photo collection.

Language of Item

English

Geographic Coverage

St. Marys

Ontario, Canada

Latitude: 43.2717841902169 Longitude: -81.1313134431839

Donor

Curly Wilson via Larry Pfaff (July, 1984)

Copyright Statement

Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.

Recommended Citation

"St. Marys Junction Station." St. Marys Museum, 1114ph.

Terms of Use

Reproduction of digital objects is restricted to fair use for personal study or research; any other use must be done with permission of copyright holder.

Reproduction Notes