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Photograph of Old Amherst Freight Depot
Photograph by dkallas, CC BY-SA 3.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Old Amherst Freight Depot

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

one of 113 National Register listings in Lorain County · listed in 1978 · category: Building · one of 2 National Historic Landmarks in Lorain County.

Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Address. Franklin St., Amherst, 44001
  • When was it listed? 1978-11-21
  • Category. building
  • Township. Amherst city
  • National Register reference number. 78002103 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 2,087 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 2,087 specimens collected within 10 miles of Old Amherst Freight Depot between 1853 and 1975: 1,023 Animalia, 810 Fungi, 215 Plantae, 16 Protozoa, 13 Chromista, 10 Unrecorded. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by ?, A. A. Wright, A. E. Recksecker and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
Specimen of Cantharellus minor PeckCantharellus minor Peck1896F.D. KelseyNear Oberlin
Specimen of Coniophora byssoides (Pers.) P.Karst.Coniophora byssoides (Pers.) P.Karst.1896F. D. KelseyOberlin.
Specimen of Polyporus arcularius (Batsch) Fr.Polyporus arcularius (Batsch) Fr.1896Kelsey, Francis DuncanKipton
A photograph of the species Ammocrypta pellucida, not of this specimenAmmocrypta pellucida (Putnam, 1863)1853Baird, Spencer FullertonBlack River, below falls at Elyria, Ohio
A photograph of the species Etheostoma blennioides, not of this specimenEtheostoma blennioides Rafinesque, 18191853S. BairdBlack River Elgria Ohio (above falls)
A photograph of the species Etheostoma caeruleum, not of this specimenEtheostoma caeruleum Storer, 18451853S. BairdElyria, Ohio
A photograph of the species Etheostoma maculatum, not of this specimenEtheostoma maculatum Kirtland, 18401853S. BairdElyria, Ohio
A photograph of the species Accipiter cooperii, not of this specimenAccipiter cooperii (Bonaparte, 1828)1894Dawson, W. L. (William Leon)Oberlin, Lorain, Ohio, USA
Aecidium nesaeae W.R.Gerard1894Kelsey, F.D.Lorain County, Ohio
Albugo candida (Pers. ex J.F.Gmel.) Roussel1894F.D. KelseyOberlin
A photograph of the species Ammodramus savannarum, not of this specimenAmmodramus savannarum pratensis (Vieillot, 1818)1894Jones, L. (Lynds)Oberlin Field W of Athletic Park, Lorain, Ohio, USA
A photograph of the species Aulacomnium palustre, not of this specimenAulacomnium palustre (Hedw.) Schwägr.1894F. D. Kelsey

All 2,087 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

4 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 4 workings within 5 miles of Old Amherst Freight Depot: 2 past producers, 2 producers. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Stone, Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Finnegan QuarryStoneProducer
National Sand & Gravel Co DredgeSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Birmingham QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Cleveland QuarryStone, Crushed/BrokenPast ProducerSedimentary

Every working recorded in Lorain County

Storms near this property

40 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Amherst, the town this property stands in, in 40 storm reports between 1996 and 2026: 26 thunderstorm wind, 11 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2023Flash FloodAmherst$3,000,000Widespread flash flooding across northern Lorain County due to heavy rainfall. Widespread basement and isolated first floor flooding reported in Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Avon Lake, Avon, and North Ridgeville. Widespread flooded roadways reported. Post event damage assessments reported hundreds of homes and businesses flooded. Radar estimated rainfall of 3 to 4 inches falling in a three hour period, which matched several measured rain gauge reports from the area.
April 2008Thunderstorm WindAmherst$250,000A thunderstorm downburst with winds of 80 to 90 mph moved across portions of Lorain County. The downburst began near the intersection of the Ohio Turnpike and State Route 58 and continued east northeast to near the Midway Mall in Elyria. Pockets of downed trees were observed in several locations just to the north of the Turnpike. The Ohio turnpike was closed near Exit 140 for several hours after a high tension power pole partially collapsed causing a power line to fall onto the road surface.
March 2026Thunderstorm WindAmherst$50,000Two trees downed along North Main Street in Amherst. One of these trees, which was very large, caused considerable damage to a home.
November 2013Thunderstorm WindSouth Amherst$40,000Thunderstorm winds tore the roof off of a house on Tacoma Avenue. Several other trees were reported down in the City of Lorain. The Emergency Manager estimated wind gusts to 60 mph.
June 2011Thunderstorm WindAmherst$40,000Thunderstorm winds caused minor roof and siding damage to a few homes.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindAmherst$30,000Numerous trees were reported down. Some of the trees even fell onto homes. The extent of damage to the homes was not known.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindAmherst$30,000A tree was reported down on a house. Also, a large limb was reported down, along with power lines in the area.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindAmherst$30,000Thunderstorm winds downed trees in Amherst and Lorain. A home was damaged by a fallen tree in Lorain.
November 2002Thunderstorm WindAmherst$30,000Thunderstorm winds downed several trees. At least one home was damaged by fallen trees.
August 2009HailAmherst$25,000Golf ball size hail was observed.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindAmherst$25,000Numerous trees, large limbs, and power lines were reported down.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindAmherst$15,000Thunderstorm winds downed several large trees.
November 2013Thunderstorm WindSouth Amherst$10,000Thunderstorm winds downed a tree on State Route 113. Several other trees were brought down by thunderstorm winds on State Route 57.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindAmherst$10,000Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees in western Lorain County.
August 2003Tornado (F0)Amherst$10,000The parent thunderstorm that spawned the tornado in Henrietta Township produced a second tornado north of Amherst. This touchdown occurred near State Route 2 between State Route 58 and Terra Lane. The tornado was on the ground for around 300 yards and had a damage path up to 50 yards in width. No structural damage occurred, but several trees were toppled along the damage path.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindAmherst$10,000Thunderstorm winds downed several trees.
November 2013Thunderstorm WindAmherst$8,000Thunderstorm winds downed a few trees.
May 2015Thunderstorm WindAmherst$5,000Thunderstorm winds down a few large trees limbs southeast of Amherst.
June 2011HailAmherst$5,000Ping pong sized hail was observed.
November 2002HailAmherst$5,000Quarter size hail was observed.
May 1998Thunderstorm WindAmherst$4,000Trees and large limbs were downed.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindAmherst$2,000Several large limbs were reported down.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindAmherst$2,000A few large limbs were reported down.
September 2003Thunderstorm WindAmherst$2,000Thunderstorm winds downed two large tree limbs.
June 2013Thunderstorm WindSouth Amherst$1,000Thunderstorm winds downed several large tree limbs.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindAmherst-Small tree branches downed about one-mile southwest of Amherst and large trees downed about one-mile SSE of Amherst.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindSouth Amherst-Several tree limbs down in South Amherst. Multiple trees down in Amherst, including one tree blocking Leavitt Road near KFC. Time estimated via radar.
November 2020Thunderstorm WindAmherst-Large tree fell and caused significant structural damage to a house in Amherst. Another large tree was snapped near its base in Elyria.
May 2019Thunderstorm WindSouth Amherst-Several trees were blown down.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindAmherst-Thunderstorms produced an estimated wind gust of 60mph.
May 2010HailAmherst-Penny sized hail was reported.
May 2010HailAmherst-Quarter size hail was observed.
August 2009HailAmherst-Nickel size hail was observed.
August 2009HailAmherst-Nickel size hail was observed.
July 2003Funnel CloudAmherst-A funnel cloud was observed for several minutes over northern Lorain County. The funnel was first spotted along Cooper Foster Park Road in Amherst. The funnel then traveled northeast over the city of Lorain and finally dissipated near Avon Lake. The funnel never came in contact with the ground and caused no damage.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindAmherst-A wind gust was estimated at 60 miles per hour.
October 1999HailAmherst-no account filed
May 1998HailAmherst-no account filed
August 1997HailAmherst-no account filed
April 1996HailAmherst-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Lorain County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

From the nomination file

1,721 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

Description of the property

ally double doors, but during the recent renovation, the doors were replaced by pairs of The interior has been restored to closely resemble, as much as possible, the original erational. The walls are of exposed brick, as they werevoriginally, and have been wire-.. used for freight storage, but is now a large public meeting hall. Its ceiling follows renovation, but antique plumbing fixtures were added to the complement the station's CONDITION UNALTERED historic character road travel once was.These old cars are currently being restored. This building is a one story rectangular brick structure accented by wood trim.It has a broad gable roof that is covered with slate and supported by brackets at the eaves.

designed lighting fixtures.Two railroads passenger cars,dating from the 1940's, end, the original sign bearing the name Amherst has been cleaned and the letters repainted. The freight station is located along the Conrail tracks and has a large lawn in gable ends, brick patterns are used to differentiate the pediments from the rest of the off in the original vertical grooved wood siding.The restrooms are part of the recent the outline of the exterior roof, with massive wooden rafters exposed.These rafters A duplicate appears on the west end. also owned by the Nordson Corporation and are utilized for tours to show how rail- X.EXCELLENT - UNEXPOSED _RUINS -FAIR -GOOD surface . large meeting hall a light, airy appearance.

Read the complete 1,721-word case file.

Statement of significance

in its social function as a community center, its educational role in displayáng The Nordson Corporation, through the Nord Foundation, has rehabilitated train stations in Oberlin andlämhgrst and has contributed funds toward the service programs, such as day care, mental retardation and head start, in 1905 ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC these buildings. PHILOSOPHY ART LAW RELIGION AGRICULTURE SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER/ARCHITECT PERIOD THEATER 1900- EDUCATION MILITARY LITERATURE _ENGINEERING _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY fully renovated, and serves as an excellent example of how an older building Local groups of school children and others are given tours of this building vice, this building has become a major social and community center for Amherst.

X.TRANSPORTATION INVENTION museum and a public meeting hall. _PREHISTORIC had become a useless building. -1400-1499 _ECONOMICS The old freight station served the New York Central's Lake Shore Line old train memorabilia, and as an example of sensitive rehabilitation of what _CONSERVATION and the three old train cars parked alongside it.The station has been taste- _1800-1899 -1500-1599 Corporation acquired the propetty about ten years ago for use as a railroad -1700-1799 -1600-1699 _SCIENCE - MUSIC Since it has been renovated by the Nordson Corporation as a community ser- can be adapted to a new use.Thus, the significance of this building lies 9

The whole case file for this property - 1,721 words, 15 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 78002103, 15 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Amherst Town Hall0.5 miles1975
Central School0.7 miles1987
South Ridge Schoolhouse2.9 miles1985
St. Ladislaus Roman Catholic Church4.9 miles1982
Lorain Carnegie Public Library5.1 miles2023
Mill Hollow House, The5.1 miles1976

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 78002103 in Record Group 79.
Lorain CountyAll 113 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.