COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Village of Plain City recently purchased a historic railroad depot from Upper Arlington with plans to move it to its Uptown District as part of its “public square project.” The project will also bring a new park and marketplace to the area.
Plain City unveiled its plans last week for the project that pays homage to the community’s history and ties to the railroad industry. The depot is 1,473 square feet and was originally constructed in the 1880s in Brice, Ohio to serve the Shawnee and Columbus Railway.
In 2004, the depot was relocated to northwest Columbus where it underwent reconstruction and restoration by Barry Fromm.
The depot and its rail collection served the community as a museum, meeting and event venue.
After Barry’s passing in 2018, his family worked to find new homes for several of the artifacts and selected Plain City to acquire the depot after hearing of the public square project.
“A goal of staff and Council is to create unique gathering spaces in our Uptown district that complement our local businesses and landmarks of Plain City. I’m eager to see the addition of the Public Square project come to life and help round out our uptown amenities”, said Haley Lupton, Village Administrator.
The depot will be dismantled and then shipped to Plain City where it will eventually serve as the cornerstone of the public square project. The village plans to use it as a space for events, visitor amenities, commercial ventures and historical displays.
The relocation will happen in June and the facility will open to the public in early 2025.
Alongside the depot, the planned park will include a splash pad, children’s play area, trailhead, event space, firepit and seating areas.
The village also plans to transform an existing building into a marketplace that will serve as a space for seasonal vendors, small businesses and community events.
