Historic Weldon Railroad

Historic Weldon Railroad. . , WELDON, A Regional Railroad Hub, The first railroad charter in the United States was the Baltimore and Ohio in 1827. The first car to run on this railway was drawn by horses in 1830., Weldon has a rich railroad history that centered around the downtown area. In early 1830 the Commonwealth of Virginia Charters the Petersburg Railroad Company to run a line to connect the Appomattox River at Peterburg to the Roanoke River near Weldon. Construction was rapid and by August 133 the first railroad to enter into North Carolina had reached its terminus of Blakely, a few miles down river from Weldon. Chartered in 1834 with original plans to connect the state’s chief port to the capital city, the Wilmington and Raleigh Railroad was diverted to Weldon when interest in Raleigh failed. In 1837, the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad had completed the first bridge across the Roanoke River into what is now Weldon. The year 1840 saw the completion of two North Carolina railroads, the Wilmington and Raleigh and the Raleigh and Gaston, to or near Weldon making the still unincorporated community, a Regional Railroad Hub and it was amid this growth and prosperity that Weldon became a town. In 1840, when the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad (161 ½ miles) was completed, it was The Longest Railroad in The World and had a terminus here in Weldon. Thus, within the amazingly short period of time, the businessmen and residents at Weldon’s Place saw their community transformed from being dependent on river transportation, to being the crossroads of a burgeoning railroad system connecting the leading cities and parts in North Carolina and Virginia to each other and to larger markets to the north, especially Richmond and Baltimore. Weldon was officially incorporated as a town on January 6, 1843. By 1855, five rail companies operated lines to and through Weldon and some termed Weldon as the “Railroad Capital of The World.”, The Weldon Freight Depot, The railroad-related resources are among the most important resources in the historic district because of Weldon’s history as one of North Carolina’s earliest and most important railroad towns. The Freight Depot, ca. 1840, is the Oldest Railroad Building in North Carolina and was one of the first buildings raised by the newly-completed Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad. It is a one story building raised in common bond brick and sheltered by a broad gable rood which terminated with a three-stage stepped parapet. The original warehouse was doubled in size in 1881. Today it is a privately-owned radio station., Civil War, “Lifeline of the Confederacy”, During the Civil War, because of Weldon’s position as a hub of rail transportation, Weldon was chosen as a mobilization camp for those who were pressed into extra duty transporting troops from the far South to the front lines. The Wilmington and Weldon trestle was a critical link in the Confederate supply system, a vital link from the supply center at Wilmington. General Robert E. Lee termed the railroads associated with Weldon as the ”Lifeline of the Confederacy.” On each bank of the river and throughout the region, there are remnants of old Civil War fortifications that were established for the protection of the railroads at Weldon., Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Embankment, Viaduct and Union Station, The largest resource in the historic district is the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Embankment and Viaduct, ca. 1911, has been described as one of North Carolina’s Most Impressive Railroad Structures. This remarkable structure extends southwest to northeast for nearly eight=tenths of a mile, forming a highly visible and dramatic boundary for the northwestern side of the historic district. It carries two lines of track, first on an earthen embankment of increasing height and then by steel viaduct supported by iron trestles that rest on massive concrete pedestals. The structure was constructed in 1910-1911 as part of a program to increase the efficiency of railroad operations at Weldon, with the tracks of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad being elevated to allow those of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad to pass underneath. Actually, much of the land as it approached the Roanoke River, with the tracks being at the same general elevation as they were upon entering Weldon on the southwest. The tracks crossed at the Union Station, ca. 1912, an impressive one story brick building displaying subdued elements of the Prairie style beneath a broad hipped roof accented with deep bracketed eaves. With a simple exterior finish that incorporated elements of the concurrently fashionable Colonial Revival style, Union Station epitomizes the heyday of passenger station construction in North Carolina. March 18, 2012, marked the Weldon Union Station’s 100th Year Anniversary. , Train Watchers, A daily average of 54 Amtrak and CSX Freight trains pass overhead in Weldon and there are several Great sites from which to observe and photograph them. At the Union Station, the trains pass overhead on the viaduct 25 feet above ground. From the Rockfish Capital Bridge across the Roanoke River, trains can be viewed as they pass some 90 feet above the rushing water over the rapids of the river. A view about a quarter mile can be seen from the old rail yard where the trains are still elevated about 10 feet above the ground. All are great for taking pictures.