According to John H. Roy’s Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses the surviving depot in Athol, Massachusetts is the second at this location. It was built by the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad in 1872-73 as a two story building. In 1892 a serious fire in the depot’s restaurant destroyed the second story. By this time the building was owned by the Fitchburg Railroad. The Fitchburg hired architect, Alden Frink to re-design the station as a one story building. The clock tower was retained. The Fitchburg was merged into the Boston and Maine system in 1900. For part of its lifetime Athol was a union station also serving the Boston and Albany RR Athol Branch. In 1959 the Boston and Maine Railroad closed the station as they discontinued passenger service. The station has had several owners over the years. The clock tower survives without a clock. The Fitchburg Railroad’s FRR logo remains at the top of the tower along with a weathervane in the shape of a steam locomotive.

Photographed by Bill McCaffrey, July 14, 2017.
Added to the photo archive by Bill Mccaffrey, July 19, 2017.
Railroad: Pan Am Southern.

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