It has been the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad Company's headquarters building in Aberdeen, NC for over 100 years. Yes, this 45-mile short-line railroad has unbelievably managed to exist for over a hundred years and is profitable today. The building was undergoing renovation when I photographed it the other day. It's a building you don't glance at. You stare at it. The eyebrow roof vents lift it from the ordinary. The four different doors. That little balcony for train watching. Simplicity and elegance!
Here's how Google Maps Street View saw it a couple of years ago. I'm sure I would not have taken its picture -- probably not even noticed it.
It looked like this in 1904 (from the Railroad's web site). There have been some changes and I think I like it more today.
And a fun note, the A&R ran passenger trains. Here is a motorcar photo from their web site dated 1948, but the car is much older than that. Yes, I'd ride it to Fayetteville. We could have done it together!
I went back in March 2013 to see if more improvements were made. Don't think so. But took another picture in better light.
A nice step out of time.
ReplyDeleteIn the photo from the company's website, it looks as if the engine is running on the bare road, no tracks?
In the other two pictures you can see the tracks. I just think it's the contrast of the old picture.
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