Philanthropist Restores and Repurposes Dalton Depot from Great Locomotive Chase
NW Georgia depot known for ‘Great Locomotive Chase’ will reopen by summer as a place where philanthropy gets on track.
NW Georgia depot known for ‘Great Locomotive Chase’ will reopen by summer as a place where philanthropy gets on track.
The past few months have seen me move a bit from my customary “armchair blogger” status to getting on the road (yes!) – reporting about sites rich with history but also dreamers who are turning old spaces into something useful.
Such was the case this past Friday, when I drove to Dalton, the carpet city in Northwest Georgia. I got an inside peek at the Western & Atlantic Railroad Depot, which is being repurposed as a charming community gathering place.
The site is best known to Civil War enthusiasts for its brief part in the “Great Locomotive Chase.” Locals tend to think about the Dalton Depot, a longtime restaurant and club which operated in the long brick building until about 10 years ago.
“Everybody has a depot story,” said David Aft, president of the Community Foundation of Northwest Georgia, which will occupy half the historic depot. The civic engagement facilitator, clad in a blue sports coat and jeans, occasionally stopped to talk with workers about construction details as he showed me around.
After a brief brush against one wall, I was careful to stay away from fresh paint as we moved toward a central room that will be the hub for foundation. The gathering space will feature…
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