Union Station- Depot Two

Out of safety concerns the station was moved to the north side of the tracks in 1884. Crossing the tracks to get to the station was no longer necessary, unless someone came from the South, then they could cross using the Willimantic Footbridge. The new station cost $8,500 dollars to be built and was a 130x32-ft wooden structure with a slate roof. It also had a cupola until 1938 when it was destroyed by a hurricane.

The Union Station was situated on multiple rail lines and by the early-1900s could accommodate fifty to forty trains a day. Many of those trains carried people as often as material goods.

The station was not just an important part of Willimantic’s industrial life but also became an important place for passengers. It was a place of transition, of “Hellos” and “Goodbyes.” There were several passenger lines that stopped in Willimantic on their way through to New York, New Haven, and Hartford. The station accommodated a large volume of passengers and by 1909 sold some $100,000 worth of tickets per year.