A steam engine train leaving the Avon station in the 1950’s.
By DENISE HERSCHEL
It may be a forgotten part of Avon’s history but an important one. The Avon train depot was once a bustling stop in the town with more than 60 trains stopping daily at the Avon station during the busy summer season. And although it no longer remains, ceasing operations in 1982, the history of how it came to be is the focus of the Avon Historical Society’s newest display entitled “The History of the Avon Train Depot (1876-1982)” at the Avon Library.
The display is there from April 4 to June 30.
“The train station was a significant part of Avon. It was a train stop for almost 100 years. Some people do not realize that we had a train station,” Norah Magrini, display organizer and AHS President said.
The two-story building was right on the railroad tracks, utilized during the busy summer season and also by commuters as the town became home to more year-round residents.
The history of the station traces back to 1876 when the tracks were laid from Long Branch to Belmar as a tourist line to the Jersey Shore. The Pennsylvania and Central RR stopped in Avon. One Philadelphia North train stopped if it had passengers to let out. Avon was called “a flag stop” if there were passengers going north to stops between Avon and Long Branch.
“The train station was built by Joseph Harris and was located behind where the municipal building is today. It sat in the parking lot right along the tracks. The mail was dropped off and the baggage agent had to push it to the post office in a cart,” she said.
In 1884, horse drawn carriages would wait to take people to the Avon Inn or The Berwick Hotel. Between 1889 and 1890, there was a ticket agent assistant and baggage agent working there. In September 1896, the train from Philadelphia stopped off at the station on Sundays. And in 1892, the train tickets had Avon-by-the-Sea printed on them at the station stop as Avon was officially named Avon-by-the-Sea that year.
Magrini said in 1903, Edward Batchelor, the town’s founder, said summer residents wanted a new station building as they felt that the current one became dilapidated.
“They contacted the New York Long Branch railroad to complain. Batchelor then sold the train depot grounds to the borough but the station was owned by the railroad,” she said. “Grounds were improved in 1905 and rumors regarding the construction of a new station were in the air.”
Between 1923 to 1957, the public and the mayor demanded better train service, there were protests against elimination of the train stop at the Avon station and disagreements on closing the station due to the proximity of Bradley Beach and Belmar.
“Stops started being eliminated between the late 1950’s until 1982. Despite the fact that the train station was torn down in 1967, commuters were able to board at the same location until 1982 but service was limited,” Magrini said.
But she said the train station was for years in the process of elimination.
“The depot was torn down in 1967 to make way for the construction of the municipal building. The train depot was owned by New York Long Branch Railroad and they did not maintain it. It was in bad shape when they tore it down,” Magrini said. “But it was a train stop for almost 100 years.”
To learn more about the Avon train depot display at the Avon Library contact avonhsnj@gmail.com
