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Symerton DepotThe 1881 Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific depot from Symerton, in central Will County, Illinois (on the line from Chicago to Decatur), was donated by the Norfolk & Western after the agency closed in 1975. (Passenger service had stopped decades earlier, but an agent was stationed at Symerton for the freight traffic coming into and out of the Joliet Arsenal.)
The building was moved board-by-board in 1979 by the Will County Historical Society to a site in downtown Lockport to be part of the society's Frontier Village (as it was called at the time). The classic wooden structure represents a typical 19th-century small-town railroad depot. The Symerton depot still contains many original items from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including telegraph hardware, office equipment, and original Wabash Railroad paperwork. |
Over the years, after its move to Lockport, the Blackhawk Railway Historical Society has given generous financial support for repairs and restoration of this depot. Long-time Blackhawk president Bill Molony had also volunteered over several years on days the Heritage Village was open for public display, performing as a 19th-century station agent.
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In 2009, the Will County Historical Society's frontier village was evicted from its site in downtown Lockport, and the station and the village were placed in storage on the north side of town. A new site was selected between 2nd and 3rd Streets in Lockport, located between the I&M Canal and the former Chicago & Alton tracks. Blackhawk president Bill Molony, and members Ed Merzlock and Dick Wheeler, volunteering many hours and with much of their own money, created a diorama for the Will County Historical Society showing the proposed layout of the new site. 👉 |
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Throughout late Summer/early Fall 2012, the Symerton depot and the rest of the village were moved into their new location off 2nd Street. At that time, it was found that key supports on the building had rotted to the point where the building was in danger. Repairing this damage was not in the WCHS's budget, and Blackhawk financed the needed repairs. Bill Molony also built an authentic replica of the original Wabash-style depot sign, getting the depot closer to its original as-built appearance.
In 2014, Blackhawk arranged to have the depot stripped and repainted in an authentic Wabash Railroad two-tone paint job. During the Summer of 2015, with the financial help from Blackhawk, contractors laid down a section of ballast and track in front of the depot. The final touch came in 2016 when a wood-style platform was built.
In the Fall of 2018, several buildings in the Heritage Village were vandalized. Fortunately, the Symerton Depot was not damaged.
In 2024, Blackhawk made another donation to cover some necessary repairs.
A local journalist captured Bill Molony's performance as Station Agent during Lockport's annual "Canal Days" festival. Watch the YouTube video below and learn about everything that would happen at a small town station.
The Symerton Depot and all of the buildings in the Heritage Village are open the first weekend of the month from May through October, and for special events. The buildings of the Heritage Village are owned and maintained by the Will County Historical Society, and Blackhawk has no financial interest in their preservation or operation.