Michigan’s Historic Railroad Stations

South Lyon

148 The original South Lyon depot burned in 1908, yet another casualty of the sparks that were such a part of the age of steam. The Grand Trunk Western Railway built this upgraded , wooden replacement in 1909. Modest though it may be, it nonetheless was a union station—the Pere Marquette also made stops here, and each company maintained a ticket window inside. Known as the Witch’s Hat Depot, this cheerful building is completely defined by the tower at one end, its conical roofline topped off by a golden finial. This is clas1909 —Grand Trunk Western Railway 300 Dorothy Street ARCHITECT: Unknown LAST PASSENGER SERVICE: 1955 CONDITION: Excellent USE: Witch’s Hat Depot Museum South Lyon South Lyon’s previous station—like so many in the ash-belching era of steam locomotion —burned one fine Sunday in 1908.The fire—depending upon whom you believe—was variously caused by sparks coming off the wheels as the train shrieked to a stop, igniting dust in an adjacent granary and spreading quickly through dry grass until it reached the depot. Or, alternately, the fire started with sparks escaping from the locomotive’s smokestack that landed on the station’s shingled roof and took off from there.Whatever the case, South Lyon ended up with a station finer by leaps and bounds than its predecessor, designed in a fashion that would attract envious notice from towns all around the area. 04 Part 3.indd 148 7/10/12 7:35 AM 149 04 Part 3.indd 149 7/10/12 7:35 AM 150 The crow’s nest dormers on the South Lyon depot are one of its most graceful elements. Note as well the gold finial to the right of the chimney, which crowns the witch’s hat roof (hidden in this shot). 04 Part 3.indd 150 7/10/12 7:35 AM 151 sic Queen Anne, the exuberant style popular around the turn of the twentieth century—a style mad for turrets, complex rooflines, tall chimney stacks, and bays of all descriptions. Note the unusual dormer windows—crow’s nest bays wearing a necklace of multipaned little windows. The architect is unknown, but this station type was surprisingly common across Michigan, also appearing in Saranac, Fowler, Clarkston, and Corunna. That repetition—not found with most other designs—may suggest origins in a builders’ stylebook, much like the early twentieth-century catalogs that offered complete house plans. Interestingly enough, the Witch’s Hat Depot, relocated in 1976 to McHattie Park, shares Top: Folks in their Sunday best gathered at the spanking-new depot for South Lyon’s 1909 Homecoming fair—as good a picture of small town pride as you’ll find. (South Lyon Area Historical Society) Bottom: The Witch’s Hat Depot was moved sixty-seven years later to its present site in McHattie Park, along with other railroad equipment— a signal lamp (left) as well as a caboose. 04 Part 3.indd 151 7/10/12 7:36 AM 152 that space with the town’s old Lutheran church—itself built from Sears and Roebuck plans. The last regular passenger train came through in 1955, and after that the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway—successor to the Pere Marquette—killed the service. The depot looks very much as it did in 1909, with the exception of the new freight house built in 1981—thoughtfully designed to fit with the station like a hand in a glove. The South Lyon Area Historical Society has taken excellent care of this landmark, though its members will tell you it was in pretty good condition when it fell into their hands. Today, the Witch’s Hat Depot Museum, run by the society, occupies the building and is open every Thursday and Sunday. The depot is owned by the City of South Lyon. The witch’s hat station model was repeated in a number of other Michigan towns—among them Saranac (at right), Corunna , Fowler, and Clarkston. 04 Part 3.indd 152 7/10/12 7:36 AM ...