Description of Historic Place

The former York Train Station is a large, rectangular, wood-shingled single gable structure with an 8-foot overhang located in the rural community of York, Prince Edward Island. The gables are snub-nosed or clipped, and the building has its original 6 paned windows, and pierced gingerbread trim. Located next to the former PEI Railway corridor, the railway line is now the recreational Confederation Trail.

Heritage Value

The former York Train Station is a rare surviving example of this type of railway station in the province, the only other example of the same style was located at nearby Bristol, Lot 40 but was demolished in the 1950s. York Station was built in 1875 by the PEI Railway as a flag station and was enlarged in 1905 by the MF Schurman Company to include a waiting room, ticket and telegraph offices as well as living quarters for the station master. Its evolution from a "flag station" to a "keeper station" meant that it was manned by an employee who sold tickets, received freight and maintained the station waiting room. The building included a freight shed, waiting room, two bedrooms and a large living room where the ticket office was located. The attic could be used for sleeping quarters and a kitchen addition at the rear of the building has since been removed.

The enlargement of the station was warranted to serve the growing community and outlying areas. Located in York, just six miles north east of Charlottetown, the growth and expansion of tourism and related businesses as well as the fishery in the popular north shore area necessitated greater access to supplies and connections by rail.

However, with the increase in passenger vehicles and growth of the trucking industry for transport of goods, the station was declared surplus. In 1964, the current owner's father purchased the building from the CNR to use for hay and potato storage. A flat-roofed kitchen section that had been added to the building when it was used to house the station master was removed prior to the re-location of the building 40' back from the railway tracks.

The building has been well maintained over the years, is in good condition and retains much of its original architectural details including its wood shingle cladding, pierced gingerbread trim, clipped gables and some original doors and windows.

The former York Train Stations continues to be an important landmark in the landscape of the rural community of York, Prince Edward Island and a tangible reminder of the important role of rail transportation in the province.

Heritage Places files, Dept of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport & Culture, Charlottetown, PE
File #: 4310-20/Y4

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the former York Train Station in York is shown in the following character-defining elements:

- the scale and massing of the structure
- the pitch and slope of the roof, with snubbed nosed or clipped gable ends
- the wood shingle cladding
- the size and placement of the six paned windows
- the size and placement of the wood doors
- the decorative pierced gingerbread eave trim
- the wide bracketed overhang roof
- the corner boards

Further contributing heritage character-defining elements:

- the location of the building adjacent to the Confederation Trail, the former PEI Railway line