The town of Dennison, Ohio lies halfway between Columbus and Pittsburgh, exactly 100 miles from each city. This location was not a coincidence, but specifically chosen because a steam engine only went 100 miles before it had to take on coal and water and change crews.
Dennison, Ohio became one of the most complete railroad shops and yards in the country at the turn of the 20th Century, boasting 40 acres of railroad shops, 21 passenger trains a day, 21 freight trains a day and 3,000 railroad employees. Dennison was on the most direct route from New York City to St. Louis. The Village became a freight and passenger terminal and the headquarters for the Panhandle Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. In the early 1980s, the line was downgraded and freight was rerouted to other Conrail lines.
The Dennison Depot, built in 1873 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands as a proud symbol of Dennison’s vast railroad heritage. Purchased by the Village of Dennison from Conrail in 1984, the Depot was originally restored by a strong grassroots volunteer group and local vocational school students. It reopened in 1989 in memory of the many railroad employees, servicemen and women, and travelers who passed through its doors.
