France honors World War II vet, owner of RR station

CORNWALL - The dining room still has the ticket window. Here and there, other small details have been preserved. Other than that, when you're inside it, the old West Cornwall train station is hardly discernible from any other spacious home.

But from the outside, it still looks like you could step inside, buy a ticket and hop on the next train to the big city.

Looking for an 1890s station for a home and/or business? Well, this one is on the market.

Donald and Vera Hart, who are preparing to move from their home of more than 25 years to Noble Horizons in Salisbury, took time this week to tell the unusual story of how they ended up living in a train station.

It was sort of a dream come true- though it was a dream that neither knew they had.

While Mrs. Hart listened, Mr. Hart recalled the days when they first met, as each was beginning a new era of life. Hart had retired as a travel agent in 1979. They married soon after and settled into the new Mrs. Hart's Manhattan apartment.

On weekends, they headed to Connecticut to explore the state, quickly developing an affinity for its many old (and mostly retired) train depots. When they stumbled upon the West Cornwall station in 1981, it was not in the best of shape, and was still its original gray color.

"The trees were starting to lean as if they were going to take over the building. They were actually pushing it," Hart said. "We didn't know who owned it, or if it was even for sale, but we both had the same idea."

They eventually discovered it belonged to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, which was renting the front portion of the building to The Little Guild Benefit Shop for $35 a month. The company happened to have a real estate office right near the Hart's New York apartment.

"We spoke to a young man there and told him we were interested. The first thing he said was, 'Do we own it?' "

The railroad company came back with an offer of $10,000.

"It was a great price, but we had to figure in what it would cost to renovate the place."

While the Harts mulled it over, the railroad checked its by-laws and discovered it had to seek at least three bids. Bids came in at $15,000 and $17,000.

"They got back to us and said they didn't want to sell it to the top bidder. We bid $17,500 and they accepted our offer," Hart said. "They told us the top bidder was a woman from Kent who wanted to turn it into a theater or other commercial property. We didn't know why they would care, but we were happy to get the place."

And so they had themselves a waiting room, ticket office and half bath in a big old building with freight doors that let in every cold winter draft.

They moved in and for the next five years, local carpenter Kenny Whitman laid slate and wood flooring, created a second floor with bedrooms and a common area, added a full bath and a kitchen with cabinets made from barn boards. He removed those freight doors and painted the outside red. They ended up with 3,800 square feet of living space.

Now that they are selling, they are even more grateful for the tremendous amount of closet space Whitman added.

The rear portion of the first floor is currently home to The Little Guild Benefit Shop, where they moved to accommodate the Harts, and have remained since, rent-free.

"It's a quandary," Hart said. "We don't want them to have to leave, but we can't let it stop a sale. I'm sure things will work out for them."

The railroad station is listed by Bain Real Estate. Agent Priscilla Miller said those viewing it have been "wowed." Details are available at bainrealestate.com.