About the Freight Building The J. Jones & Son Freight Building was originally built in 1885 by Mr. Jones behind his store on the Cochecho Line for the storage of the supplies that the train delivered. The building was added onto twice and is now 112 feet long. The railroad stopped running in 1940. In March of 2005, Mr. Laurence (Bud) Lantz donated the building to the Alton Historical Society. In 2007 the underground conduit and the septic system were put into place. The south gable end received new clapboards and the 17 foot sill was replaced. The back wall was jacked up and stabilized and 60 feet of sill was replaced. The scraping and painting of the outside walls was begun. In 2008, a new platform and handicap accessible ramp was built and stained, a new original size J. Jones & Son sign was built and hung. On the opposite gable a 16 foot section of sill was replaced, the wall repaired and closed in. New pressure treated floor joists were installed in one-half of the last 30 feet of the building. The clapboards on the back side of the building have been repaired or replaced and primed. A new steel door has been installed. Interior support wall studs installed and five center support posts put into place. Our plans for this building are: a museum in the first half of the building and an education center in the second half. This part will be available for meetings and activities and will be open to use by the public.

Click the image below to view a photo gallery of the restoration.