Gone but not forgotten

Flemington Junction Passenger Railroad Station circa 1885 demolished March of 2023.
(written by Carla Cielo)

Despite the fact that the train station is listed as a contributing resource in the Raritan/Readington South Branch Historic District, the unmaintained station fell into disrepair and was demolished in March of 2023. It was a 1½-story carpenter Gothic/Stick style structure with wide overhanging bracketed eaves, clipped gables, a decorative mix of board-and-batten and clapboard siding, tall windows and symmetrically-placed projecting bay windows. Gable-roofed Stick-style and arched porticos, which sheltered walkways to the stairs that led down to the railroad tracks, remained standing adjacent to the station on both ends. Historic photographs show that stairs and platform were also once sheltered. I did not get to see the interior but a few photos were taken by a township official.
This station was a stop on the Lehigh Valley Railroad just north of a rail link that extended into Flemington at the north end where a similar station remains today (abandoned). It was not connected to the South Branch Railroad which had a station in the center of town (remains in use as a bank), nor was it connected to the Belvidere Division of the Pennsylvania Rail Road which also came into Flemington. The station always confused me since the area that it served was predominately rural until recently. An old photo shows that cars (and previously horse and wagons) could pull up to the back of the station from circular driveway off River Road. This area is now occupied by Suburban Propane.