Historic Ft. Defiance train depot to be relocated to Valley Pike Farm Market

The old, abandoned train depot in Fort Defiance is going to be moved to a new location for preservation.

According to a press release from the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, they accepted an officer from Valley Pike Farm Market, LLC, to relocate the Fort Defiance Depot Building from its location on Dam Town Rd., not far from Fort Defiance High School, to 3494 Lee Hwy., Valley Pike's location in Weyers Cave a few miles away.

Shenandoah Valley Railroad acquired the building a while back and has been looking for a way to use the building at its current location, but factors like the terrain, proximity to overhead power lines and the railroad tracks, lack of a water source or any parking spaces, and the expense of renovations kept any progress from happening.

Instead, they agreed with Valley Pike Farm Market that relocating the depot would be "the most practical and considerate solution for preserving this historic building while offering another opportunity for the train depot to be appreciated and utilized within the community."

Valley Pike Farm Market will reconstruct the depot next to the historic barn they've also relocated and repurposed into a market and event venue.

A plaque will be installed to document the origin and significance of the building to the Shenandoah Valley's agro-industrial history.

According to the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, the depot has been disassembled and will be re-constructed in the coming year, as long as favorable weather conditions and appropriate permitting line up.

The release says both groups "fully believe that restoration and preservation are the means of progressing agritourism within the area while celebrating the history that the Valley is founded on, starting with the train depot."

The old depot was used for many years as a spot for senior photographs of some local high school students.