Godbold Transportation Center
The facility is located in the town's old power plant, originally constructed in 1890. Renovation plans called for partial demolition of the power plant, but the soaring smokestack was retained as a symbol of the building's industrial heritage. Large expanses of glass on the principal elevations allow natural light to flood the waiting room. The wooden benches used by passengers were once located in the old Illinois Central depot.
History
Brookhaven was a hub between the Illinois Central (formerly the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern), the Brookhaven and Pearl River Railroad, the Mississippi Central, and the Meridian, Brookhaven, and Natchez Railroad. In 1907, Illinois Central constructed the Union Station and freight house in downtown Brookhaven. Designed by F. D. Chase, the Tudor-revival brick building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The old station building, located at 125 South Whitworth Avenue,(31°34′44″N 90°26′35″W / 31.57889°N 90.44306°W) is now occupied by the Military Memorial Museum.
Godbold Transportation Center, named after a former Brookhaven Mayor Bill Godbold, opened in 2011. This replaced a small shelter beside the old depot building that had been used by Amtrak.
References
- ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Mississippi" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ "Brookhaven Station". Amtrak's Great American Stations. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
- ^ "Museums and Points Of Interest". About Brookhaven. Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
Military Memorial Museum (old railroad depot) South Whitworth Avenue. Photos, artifacts and personal items of area veterans; plus displays of military equipment dating back to WWI.
- ^ "Former Brookhaven mayor dies". Archives. Hattiesburg American. September 12, 2010. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
One of Godbold's last projects was the city's multi- modal transportation facility, which is still being built. Current Mayor Les Bumgarner says the facility is named for the Godbold family
External links
- Brookhaven, MS – Amtrak
- Brookhaven, MS – Station history at Great American Stations (Amtrak)
- Brookhaven Amtrak Station & Former Union Station (USA Rail Guide -- Train Web)