Built In 1896 along the North Carolina and St. Louis Railway Line, the Hohenwald Depot was the point of entry for newcomers to our area. The railroad brought immigrants from all over the world, including Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, to help establish the Hohenwald we know today. The names of employees from when it was a functioning train depot are still etched into the side of the walls in the freight room!
The train depot has been beautifully restored and is now home to the Welcome Center and the Chamber of Commerce. Inside the freight room is a marketplace where local vendors sell their arts and crafts. Stop by to peruse the items in the Depot or visit our online store.
The Depot, open 10-2 Monday through Friday, is a great place to start your visit. You can walk around town to shops and restaurants, and see what our ancestors saw when they stepped off the train in Hohenwald, Tennessee.
The depot was part of the South Central Tennessee Railroad Line, which ran north through Hickman County to Colesburg in Dixon County. This line was one of many significant railways that crossed Tennessee, and is still active today, though it no longer runs through the historic depot. When the railway came into Lewis County, it transformed the future of the surrounding communities. The flock of population to the area around the depot helped Hohenwald become the county seat over the community of Newburg. [Source of information pertaining to Newburg's settlement]
Trains still actively crossed the city during my lifetime. In the 90's, there were still tracks that crossed Main Street (Hwy 412). The trains carried loads of materials to the Dana Corporation's plant, which was the main source of employment in the town. I even remember a local news crew from our local ABC affiliate, Channel 2, doing a story on the train depot when I was in middle school. Our class posed in the background behind the news anchor, we were all excited to get on TV.
The tracks have since been pulled up around the depot, as well as in most other parts of the city. The depot is currently unattended by any sort of curators, to my knowledge. There is little information about the train depot physically near the site, or on the internet. Information from the local government officials is also scant, but it's hard to talk to them, not physically being there.
| Street address: Hohenwald, TN USA 38462  County / Borough / Parish: Lewis Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event Periods of significance: 1875-1949 Historic function: Transportation Current function: Welcome Center for the Hohenwald-Lewis County Chamber of Commerce Hours of operation: Monday - Friday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm |
