About

The first depot in Amherst (then known as Dearborn) was built in the late 1800s for the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. This depot would be replaced in November 1913 by the Southern Railway when it took over the O&A and expanded its operation in Amherst County. Southern Railway contracted with Pettyjohn Company in nearby Lynchburg to construct a new passenger station costing $4,712. The depot's construction of longleaf pine siding and a red tile roof was the typical architectural style of the early railroad stations. A ticket booth extended outward from the center facing the tracks with waiting rooms on each side—one for black folks and the other for white folks. A freight depot was located across Depot Street.