The passions of people in Hamlet related to the railroad should be reflected in efforts to promote the historic Hamlet Passenger Depot was the overall feeling expressed Tuesday afternoon in a “visioning session.”

Meeting at Hamlet City Hall with Mary Frances Turner and Shana West of Synergy Design Group hired to develop a museum at the depot were Hamlet Mayor Jeff Smart, City Manager Marchell Adams David; Bobby Moser, Hamlet superintendent of buildings; Richmond County Commissioner Pam Dillman, Architect David Gall and Tiffany White, a museum consultant who works with Gall.

It was yet another meeting for the Synergy team among local residents to gather ideas about how citizens view the purpose of a museum for the depot.

Meaningful experience

During a roundtable discussion, conversation centered around what was envisioned in presenting a meaningful museum experience at the depot.

The feelings of many Hamlet residents were relayed by city officials as one of wanting the labors of their relatives on the railroad to be understood and appreciated in the way the artifacts were displayed and explained.

Synergy moderators Turner and West were seeking information about what Hamlet has to offer visitors who would want to come to Hamlet to the depot as a travel destination point.

Officials said people who have donated artifacts to the depot museum have done so with stories to tell about those workers who were associated with them.

Synergy staffers have been getting oral interviews from former railroad workers as part of the project.

Smart said that while many museums contain items of famous people, the Hamlet Depot museum should reflect the character of the hard-working people who made the community what it is.

Passionate memories

“People have preferred to donate a hammer or watch to the museum used by a railroad worker rather than sell them at a yard sale,” Smart said.

He said people were passionate in their memories of those who spent their lives working on the railroad and was firm in his belief that those feelings should be reflected in museum presentations.

“They want the items they have donated to become a part of a living history,” he said.

Smart said working for the railroad was not like any other job with regular hours. It took dedication, he said, to work at a job until it was done no matter how long it took. “The families understand that whereas others might not.” he said.

So the hard work, commitment and values put into the railroad to build the community in Hamlet and across America was emphasized as being necessary to be infused into the character of the museum.

“I want people to see how it used to be, how it is a part of history and the stories behind it,” Smart said of working on the railroad.

Opportunity

Also part of that story is how working on the railroad provided opportunities for future generations to better themselves.

Many came out of farm fields to work on the railroad with hope for a better life. The stories of families from one generation to another were considered to be a major part of the vision the museum should have.

Smart said the project has “huge citizen support” in the city and among railroad enthusiasts.

Moser said the museum should reflect the romance of railroading, not just travel but also the power of the machines of railroading as they go by and explain what it takes to go from here to there by rail.

Moser has a personal attachment to railroading being called upon many times to show visitors through the depot and talk about it.

Smart said the city has been involved in the depot project and continues to support it because it is part of the quality of life the city is supposed to provide its citizens.

Financial return

If developed properly, he anticipates many financial returns for the city and its businesses.

As the museum’s popularity grows, the city hopes business downtown will grow along with it.

The discussion Tuesday presented many thoughts which gave participants a sense that development of the museum extends into the entire community in a complex way which will require the efforts of many people being enthused about it.

Synergy was hired to develop a museum which would meet criteria so it can be accredited according to state standards.

The money for the project is provided through a grant from N.C. Department of Transportation, Rail Division, to do just that.

It will present a museum plan for the city to consider at a future date.

Eventually, the city plans to have a full-time employee in charge of the museum to keep it open weekdays with a volunteer staff on weekends. The employee would work along with the city-appointed volunteer board of directors, which now oversees the depot.

The depot is the only Victorian Queen Anne passenger station in North Carolina and is an active Amtrak station. It was built in 1900 as a passenger station and division headquarters for the Seaboard Air Line Railroad.

It was moved across tracks to its present location in 2003. It was renovated and dedicated in October 2004 to G. R. Kindley Jr., long-time member of the N.C. Department of Transportation and promoter of the project.

The depot received the Historic Preservation Society of North Carolina’s 2005 Carraway Award.