West Jersey Train Depot

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This is a photo of the West Jersey Train Depot, which was built in 1863. The main passenger station still exists is located at 354 Oakwood Avenue, Glassboro New Jersey 08028. The map coordinates are 39.704524, -75.121168. The structure is currently used by the Glassboro Historical Society as a museum and to host meetings and special events. 

The camera that captured the above photo is facing southeast. The West Jersey Train Depot is on the left. Please see the photos below for additional views of the structure. 

The larger facility was used to hall freight and as a passenger station. In fact, the Depot was one of the first passenger depots in the area. The station included a tunnel that went underneath the tracks allowing users to cross to the other side without crossing over the tracks. The train tracks next to the West Jersey Depot still exist and are used by freight trains; however, the tracks on the far right are no longer intact. Similarly, the buildings and platforms on the right are no longer there. 

According to Rich Drobil, a Glassboro Historical Society member, the facility was used originally used to transport material and products for the area's glass industry. The trains transported wood, coal, oil, and other material such as food, corn, animal feed, as well as cedar for making roof shingles. Drobil also stated that over time the transportation needs of Glassboro changed and the West Jersey Train Depot was used to transport people. Drobil states that combined cars were used extensively by the trains that stopped at the West Jersey Depot; this was because combined cars provided room for both passenger seating as well as storage for passenger belongings.

Over time, the names of the train lines which used the West Jersey Depot changed. The train lines included the West Jersey Railroad, West Jersey and Seashore Railroad, and finally, became the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line.

In the 1930s, the  Depot provided transportation to students going to the regional high school or to the Glassboro Normal School. Also, there were the passengers often referred to as “shoobies." These individuals were called this because they were known to pack their lunch in a shoebox before using the train to go down to the shore for the day. Many passengers used the West Jersey Depot to travel to shore destinations such as Cape May, Stone Harbor, and Wildwood.

According to Drobil, the ability to own a car or take the bus increased in the 1960s. This led to fewer individuals using the train. The West Jersey Train Depot stopped transporting passengers in 1971 but continued to be used for freight until 1976. The structure sat for many years and started to deteriorate. However, because of community activism, the building's historic value was recognized and the Borough of Glassboro purchased it in 2002. The Borough and community members worked together to apply for grants to help save the West Jersey Train Depot.

By 2015 the renovation was completed, and the Glassboro Historical Society was formed to help preserve Glassboro's history. Today, the historic structure is used by the Glassboro Historical Society as a museum and to host meetings and special events. In 2020, the Glassboro Historical Society applied for and received the National historical landmark status for the West Jersey Train Depot.

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