The Riverhead Restoration Site is located in Riverhead, at the junction of the North and South Forks of Long Island. The majority of the Museum’s rolling stock resides here and restoration work on the rolling stock is carried out here. Our Visitors Center has small displays and a fully stocked gift shop. During the spring, summer and autumn (except in inclement weather) our World’s Fair Miniature train is in operation and available for rides around the site property.
VISITORS CENTER
FREEMAN NORTH EXHIBIT HALL
The building that is the current visitor’s center was acquired from the Nassau Suffolk Lumber company. Records in our possession show that as early as 1885 the building was used as a lumber yard named Corwin and Vail. The building had office space in the front and second floor. An interesting feature of the visitors center building is that while the front is of wood frame construction, the last 15′ or so are brick. This area was apparently used to store paint and we believe it was made of brick to act as a fire break. Other buildings on the site at the time of our acquisition were in poor condition and were demolished shortly thereafter. The other building remaining from our acquisition is a large rectangular building (about 25 feet by 110 feet) that is being used as a carpentry shop, equipment repair shop, and storage. The building has recently been named in honor of Ronald Freeman for his dedicated work at the Museum prior to his untimely death in May 2004. A portion of the Riverhead site is parcel of land approximate 70′ feet wide along Griffing Ave., which is owned by the MTA/LIRR and licensed to RMLI. It is currently vacant land. However as far back as 1891, a turntable, water tower, and pump house to fill the water were located in the south east corner of the property (close to the existing tracks). It is not clear when the turntable was removed but we believe it was sometime around WWII. It was no longer useable since the engines of that time had gotten too long to be turned on the short turntable. By 1969 both the table and the water tower had been removed. The foundation of this table and of the water tower are still on the property.
Interior work in the Gift Shop and first floor and second floor has been completed as well as the exterior work on the alcove at the entrance of the building. A new roof and repainting of this portion of the exterior have also been completed but is now in the need of a new coat The second floor now has three rooms in the front of the building which are used as a board/meeting room, engineering office, and executive office. Work has also been completed on the rear portion of the second floor, which will contain space for our record retention area. Construction of shelving, installation of file cabinets and desks, and setup of a local computer network is currently in progress. Still to be done are completion of an enclosure around the heating unit and securing of entrance ramp supports in concrete. A generous contribution by Empire Carpet was the donation and installation of carpet in the second floor conference room, hallway, and reception area. Additional generous donations of the conference furniture were made by The M & T Company. The shelving and file cabinets for the record retention area were acquired with a Legislative Initiative Grant from the State of New York.