On March 18th 2010 the Virginia Department of Historic Resources Approved the Dungannon Depot as a Listing on the Virginia Landmarks Register.

THE DEPOT IS 100 YEARS OLD!

A rare survivor of the passenger train era in Virginia’s southwestern region, Dungannon Depot was constructed circa 1910 in Scott County on the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway line. After passenger trains stopped serving the area in 1955, the building stood vacant. In order to save, preserve, and reuse it, in 1978 the depot was relocated a quarter mile from its original site to the Town of Dungannon. There it has been carefully maintained, providing municipal office space. The depot’s architecture and craftsmanship surpasses many of the extant railroad stations along the C.C. & O., which ran from Kentucky to South Carolina.

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From 1910 to 1912 the Depot in Dungannon was in a boxcar, open at both ends and located on a side track. Mr. W.F.C. Blackwell was the agent.

The present Depot was built by hand beginning in 1910 and completed in 1912 with Jack White as carpenter foremen . It had two large waiting rooms taht was marked "colored" and white", with beautiful oak seats around the walls with wrought iron dividers. There was an express or freight room, and office, and supply room.

In the earlier days it was the gathering place and activity center for the community. Just to watch the train come in and leave out, and bring the daily mail, put off freight including cook stoves, fruit trees, plants, live chickens and dogs was a great thrill for a large crowd each day. It was a special thrill to hear the conductor call out "ALL-ABOARD", the sound ringing out and echoing to the hills, and and at night see him wave his lantern.

The Dungannon Depot was one of the few remaining along the track of the Clinchfield Railroad line which runs from Spartansburg, S.C. to Elkhorn City, K.Y.

The agents names were first Mr. W.F.C. Blackwell followed by Ben Hale in 1913, then Claude McClure, Frank Whitlock, P.C. Gibson, Clyde Letterman, W.R. Hefner, Frank Renfro (part-time) and the last one was W.H. Moyer.

The last regular passenger train to run was May 2, 1955. Since then a spail "Santa Clause" train runs just after Thanksgiving.

For the next twenty years it sat there waiting until the Dungannon Women's Club was formed in the fall of 1976 for the broad purpose of community improvement and was incorporated on March 15, 1977. One of the greatest needs at the beginning was to have a center big enough for any and all activities that might be of interest to the town and surrounding areas. The Depot was suggested as a possibility, but then everyone said that it couldn't be done. But, it could and the women did get the CC&O Railroad to give them the building, but with the restriction that it had to be moved in a period of one year. Again, the club was told that if couldn't be done -- but it could, and they did. They raised the needed money, got the town to provide the space and before the year was up, on June 2, 1978, to be exact the Depot was moved. After the Depot was completely renovated, the new community center was dedicated in April of 1980.

The primary goal now of the Women's Club is the maintenance of the Depot so that if can continue to be a center for the community to use as a place for parties, reunions, and other functions. If you would like to inquire about the possibilities of renting the Dungannon Depot or on becoming a member of the women's club contact the Dungannon Development Commission, Inc. for more information.

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Dungannon Depot Named Historic Landmark

The 100-year-old building, which now serves as the Dungannon Town Hall, was one of two historic train depots to be added to Virginia Landmarks Register.

Dungannon Mayor Karen Powers said the designation will help the town’s efforts to promote heritage-based tourism in the area.

“This will help to boost the economy of not only the merchants and residents of the town of Dungannon, but all the surrounding areas in Southwest Virginia,” Powers said. “The residents and merchants in small, rural areas have suffered tremendous financial hardships during these tough economic times, and we hope to turn that around by promoting the history and heritage of these areas.”

In addition to promoting tourism, the recognition will also help preserve the depot’s historical significance, said Dungannon Development Commission Executive Director Travis Perry, who led the initiative to include the depot on the registry.

“We’re just trying to promote the town’s past by keeping the history alive,” Perry said. “We do things like this to keep it from dying out.”

The depot is currently being considered for inclusion on the National Historic Landmarks Register, he said.

Perry said the depot’s 100th anniversary would serve as the theme for this summer’s Mountain Treasures Festival, which is held annually in Dungannon.

The Dungannon Depot was built in 1910 on the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway and was used by passenger trains until 1955.

It sat vacant until 1978, when it was moved to its current location on Third Avenue by the Dungannon Women’s Club before being renovated.

The depot is the 11th property in Scott County — and third in the Dungannon area — to be included on the Virginia Register of Historic Places.

A Project of
Dungannon Development
Commission, Inc.

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