The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway built the first facility in 1880 that was enlarged in 1891 to serve both freight and passengers.[5] In 1942, the C&O president, Robert R. Young, saw a need for "a stylish, streamlined, and efficient passenger rail system" that led to the development of the current station.[5]
Design
The design of the Prince train station is Art Moderne, similar to Art Deco,[6] with a horizontal design, emphasizing movement and sleekness.[1][7] Built in 1946, the architectural firm was Garfield, Harris, Robinson, & Schafer that was headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.[8] The main terminal building is 125 by 22 feet (38.1 m × 6.7 m) and the waiting area features tall ceilings and large windows, as well as a large wall mural depicting mining and the importance of coal.[5] The terrazzo floor has embedded in it the original C&O “Chessie” kitten logo.[1]
The depot has a minimum of ornamentation. Each end of the 500-foot (152 m) canopy is rounded and topped with Streamline Moderne stainless steel lettering spelling out "Prince".[9] The canopy is oriented so that the sun would warm waiting passengers in the winter time, while shading them in the summer.[5]
^Chambers, S. Allen (2004). Buildings of West Virginia, Volume 9 of Buildings of the United States. Oxford University Press. pp. 111–112. ISBN978-0-19-516548-7.
