NORGE — The Norge Depot has tons of history within its small museum. There are railroad signs, old suitcases, and photos of railroad travel of the past.
Norge Depot was built in 1908 at the foot of Peach Street. It was used as a station stop along the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, along with Toano, Lightfoot and Ewell. Rail service stopped in 1969. James City County purchased the building in 2006 and it was moved to its current location behind the James City County Library off Croaker Road in Norge.
The building is the only surviving example of railroad history in James City County. In 2009, Norge Depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After undergoing renovations, the Norge Depot opened as a free museum in 2012.
Dennis Cotner, President of the Norge Depot Association, happily takes guests through the museum. According to Cotner, the Norge Depot offers guests a look at a different piece of history in the Williamsburg area.
“We are still growing off and on, but we have a small cadre of folks with the Norge Depot Association. Everybody thinks about history in this area thinks about the historic area in Colonial Williamsburg, which is fine. But this area had a lot of other history besides that which was also important to the county as a people,” Cotner said.
In the museum are several antiques and artifacts from railroad travel of the past. The museum houses a restored stationmaster’s and freight office, a freight room, a meeting room, a gallery and local artifacts and resources.
Cotner is passionate about preserving the history of rail travel in the Norge area.
“The Norge Depot was really a gathering spot, kids would play here and enjoy the company. People saw the world’s problems here, sitting around the stove. They got their news here, this was a spot that they could share their lunch with someone and talk about whatever and whenever things came about,” Cotner said.
The Ford’s Colony Model Railroad Club even built a model railroad depicting what the Norge area looked like in 1908 when the depot first opened.
Just outside the museum, visitors can also see a Georgia Railroad caboose. Built in 1925, it served on the Georgia Railroad. The caboose was donated to Norge Depot in 2013 and is undergoing restoration.
The Norge Depot Association is hopeful to expand the property by adding more to the railroad exhibits.
“We really hope to be an active museum as much as we can for rotating displays eventually. We want to be an area where people want to come and bring traveling exhibits. Our issue is that we are small. The depot belongs to the county, but we at the Norge Depot Association are the docents. We are the ones who disseminate the history of it and try to set things up in telling its story in the best way possible,” Cotner said.
The depot is open Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon and Sunday from 2-4 p.m. or by appointment.
For more information, visit norgedepot.org.