| 1851 | |
| 1854 | The
Virginia-Tennessee Railroad reaches Christiansburg. (Take the Dixie Caverns Exit
in I-81 and follow US 460/Rt.11 towards Christiansburg. The route parallels the
Virginia-Tennessee rail line past Lafayette, founded in 1826, and through two
railroad villages: Elliston and Shawsville before climbing Christiansburg Mountain.
Stay on 470/Rt.11 until you reach Depot Street in Christiansbug to reach the Christiansburg
Depot.) |
| 1857 | The
first permanent station was built at the north end of Main Street (on the site,
more or less, of the "new masonry depot built in 1906). The 1906 depot is
currently being used as the "maintenance of ways" office for the district. |
| 1864 | |
| 1868 to 1870 | The
Virginia and Tennessee Railroad constructed the new depot as part of the rebuilding
ofthe railroad under the leadership of its new president, General
William Mahone. During this period, Mahone consolidated the Virginia and Tennesse
with several other roads, forming the Atlantic,
Mississippi, and Ohio Railroad. |
| 1873 | The
Bangs Post Office (original name of Cambria) opened near the depot. The Christiansburg
Depot, in addition to providing passenger and freight service for Montgomery and
Floyd Counties, also served as the transfer point for the resort at Yellow
Sulphur Springs, six miles to the northwest. |
| 1876 | The
A.M.&O. Railroad went into receivership. Purchasers of the railroad in 1881
renamed the railroad Norfolk and Western. |
| 1882 | In
July, a duel was fought near the depot by J. Stuart Crockett of Wythville and
John S. Wise of Richmond. Both combatants arrived by rail with their seconds,
having selected Bangs (Cambria) as a convenient middle point between their respectibve
places of residence. The duel, resulting in no injuries, was fought a short distance
up Yellow Sulphur Springs Road (now Cambria Street). The duel was Wise's last
and led to his much publicized decision to fight no more duels (an example which
was instrumental in ending the practice in Virginia). |
| 1885 | The
community took the name of Ronald in honor of a local Confederate hero,
Captain Charles A. Ronald, the leader of the Montgomery Highlanders ( Company
E of the 4th Virginia Militia). |
| 1892 | The
community changed the name from Ronald to Cambria. |
| 1906 |
The Town of Cambria was officially incorporated.
In the same year, the new masonary passenger station was erected at the site 400
yards east of the original station and the old depot was converted for use solely
as a freight station. The conversion of the building as a freight
facility resulted in several significant alterations to its structure. The freight
section was cut away from the passenger section and raised 25 inches, creating
the existing short gable on the west end of the freight room. A problem with rot
under the front section (waiting rooms) was solved by cutting 25 inches off the
entire bottom of the passenger rooms (look at the height of the chair rail when
you visit the Cambria Toy Station).
An additional thirty feet of freight room was added to the east end of the building,
and the original slate roof was replaced by a standing
seam tin roof. |
| 1960 | The
Christiansburg Station (Cambria Depot) was retired from service by the railroad
and ownership subsequently shifted to Cash Lumber Co. and later to Mitchell Sales. |
| 1964 | Cambria
was annexed by Christiansburg. While it officially became known as North Christiansburg,
it unofficially continued to be referred to and is still referred to as Cambria. |
| 1981 | The
eastern end of the freight section of the Cambria Depot (the Christiansburg Station's
popular name) was demolished by two box cars from the sub siding behind the building.
In one sense one could attribute the actual restoration of the original
depot building to this mishap for the section destroyed was the thirty feet added
in 1906! |
| 1983 | The
Christianburg (Cambria) Depot was acquired by Helen and James Dorsett for the
purpose of its rehabilitation and restoration as an historic structure and a useful
building in the life of the Cambria community. |
| 1984 | Rehabiliation
work began in January. While all of the basic structural work was completed during
the first year of rehabilitation, much remained to be accomplished before the
project was finished. Part of the remaining work involved rehabilitating the community's
view of the depot (especially given the predominant view that the building should
have been razed and turned into a parking lot). Dorsett Publications relocated
to the Depot in the late summer of 1984. |
| 1985 | The
Christiansburg Depot was placed on the Virginia Landmarks Register on April 16th
and was endorsed by the Virginia Historic Landmarks Commission for placement on
the
National Register of Historic Places. The Depot entered the National Register
of Historic Places in December, 1985. |
| 1991 | The
Cambria
Historic District enters the National Register of Historic Places, as does
the East Main Historic District and the South Franklin Historic District. |
| 2004 | Community
Housing Partners renovates the Dew Drop Inn, the "third leg" of the
commercial center of Cambria. |
| 2006 | Amelia's
Italian Restaurant and the Chocolate Spike open their doors in the Cambria commercial
district. |
| 2007 | Cambria
celebrates 150 year birthday. Dorsett Publications opens the Cambria Toy Station
in the trackside waiting room. |
| 2008 | Following
the approval of a town house development within the boundaries of the Cambria
Historic District, the Christiansburg Town Council and Planning Commission begin
discussing a possible historic district overlay ordinance to help protect the
Town's historic resources. |
Cambria,Virginia
The
Christiansburg Depot is one of the only two known surviving railroad structures
erected during the Reconstruction period in southwest Virginia. the building is
significant not only because it is one of the oldest depots in the state of Virginia,
but also because it embodies the elements of high style 
