Hamlet Depot

         In 1870, a railroad ran from Wilmington to the Pee Dee River and on to Charlotte. In 1877, a railway was established running from Raleigh to Augusta. The crossroads of these two rails occurred at Hamlet and spurred population growth for this town. Hamlet, incorporating on February 9, 1897, has always been a railroad town with five spurs radiating from the town to Richmond, Wilmington, Atlanta/Birmingham, Savannah/Charleston and Columbia.

         To celebrate the importance of this hub for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, an impressive train station was constructed around the turn of the century. The station was designed in a Victorian Queen Anne style that was popular with railroad architecture in the late 19th century. The long bracketed porches radiate around the corner entry tower that faces the railroad intersection, honoring the reason for its being. For years the train station served as both a passenger depot and a freight yard.