Kent's Erie Depot, the city's iconic brick train station which played a key role in the city’s early economic development, celebrated its 150th anniversary Sunday.
“Kent for a hundred years was a railroad town and it was a busy, active town, (with) hundreds of people working for the railroad,” said Bruce Dzeda, historian and author of the book “Railroad Town.”
According to Dzeda, the railroads were one of the first national industries to find their way into the Kent region. And with the depot and railroads came the opportunity for people to find work in the town and the ability to earn a living.
“This is where people got their hands dirty. This is where you could make more money,” Dzeda said. “There was always a job, if you needed one. You could either go to the yards or you could go to shops.”
"It was a busy railroad town until the university began to really to get underway. And then by 1920 or so, the Erie Railroad started to pull back on its employment here and its infrastructure,” Dzeda added. “Today, the only train that passes the depot comes by maybe two or three or four times a week, but it's just one train pulling a couple of cars. So the town has gone through some changes and it's worn a bunch of different hats. It was a canal town, it was a farm town, it was a railroad town, it was college town that became a city.”
When the rail service stopped in 1970, a buyer came forward with plans to demolish the building and turn the space into a parking lot. Dzeda said residents jumped into action and in 1971, the Kent Historical Society was formed and bought the site.
Renovations to the depot took about 10 years. A restaurant was included as part of the eventual re-opening in 1981. A couple of different restaurants have occupied the space since then. The biggest impact from keeping the depot intact, Dzeda said, was the eventual renaissance Kent experienced – with the renovated landmark serving as a catalyst, transforming Kent from a town into a city.
"People were tender about this station, partly because of its location, because it's the first thing you see. It’s the main icon in town when you cross the bridge,” Dzeda explained. “It didn't happen initially, but once the depot opened and things got underway, the city took up the pavement off the bricks and reinstalled old time street lighting, so to speak, on Franklin Avenue. Once that happened, a couple of other businesses opened. And what I'm describing here is that this depot became the spark that lit the fire of renewal in downtown Kent.”
Sunday's 150th anniversary celebration included speakers, live music and the dedication of a new plaque.
