Holly Union Train Depot to Move Come Spring, Fundraising Needed for Next Steps
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec. 7, 2022)
Holly, MI – Efforts to move the historic Holly Depot continue as Downtown Holly has met their goals and met with the movers, but more money is needed to make the building usable after the move.
Dreams of moving the depot have been happening for years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that the movement really gained steam. Fundraising began in earnest and organizers sought out grants to make the move happen. According to Downtown Holly Director Nick Klempp, the $500,000 raised so far means that the building can be transported from it’s current location – too close to railroad tracks on each side to be safe for visitors – to an area of land closer to the active downtown.
The plan is to turn the depot into a visitor’s center, and possibly incorporate the Downtown Development Authority’s offices. It will also be a helpful central location for volunteers at the community’s numerous festivals, parades, and other events. And of course it will be a place to showcase the history of the depot and the community.
“The Holly community has a deep emotional connection to the Depot,” says a fundraising brochure. “For over a century Holly residents took excursions from the Historic Depot for shopping, visiting relatives, going to school, or sightseeing on vacations.
“Residents like Tom McKenney used it to travel to Notre Dame Prep, and others like Steve Striggow used it to travel to Fenton. Youth used to jump the train to Walled Lake to an amusement park. Other families like the Casters were railroad families that worked for the Depot as station agents and track repairmen.”
The brochure also notes the famous visitors who used the rails to visit Holly, including temperance advocate Carry Nation, and US President George Bush Sr.
A famous meal was held near the depot in 1862 when 1,000 troops of the 10th Regiment came through town by train and the community rallied together to feed them.
“We have the money and we’re ready,” Klempp told Oakland County Times. Klempp and village officials met with Wolf Movers of Indiana in September to plan out the move. The company specializes in moving historic buildings and has moved similar depots in other communities.
The move is expected to happen in the spring, but further restoration depends on fundraising. It will take about $900,000 more to do the rehabilitation and site development, including heating and cooling, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression, restoring the finishing, replacing the concrete deck, asphalt paving, concrete curbs, landscaping, brick and concrete walks, decorative safety fencing, and lighting.
Large donors are invited to put their name on parts of the restoration project. For as little as $1,000 one can be named on the Train Board of Donors. The “passenger” level is $1,000, the “ticket agent” level is $10,000 and the “conductor” level is $20,000 with other options in between. Benches can be sponsored for $5,000, and the Community Room can be named in one’s honor for a donation of $25,000.
In early 2023 local businesses and the village office will be selling Hollyopoly board games featuring local businesses, organizations, and landmarks. The game was anticipated to come out in time for Christmas, but printing delays have pushed it back to the new year. (Be sure to notice the Oakland County Times square on the game!)
Klempp said that many groups and individuals have been part of the fundraising so far, including the producers of the locally-filmed movie Cupid’s Christmas which featured the depot move as part of the film’s plot. The project also earned a $150,000 grant through American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in collaboration with Main Street America.
“We’re so grateful for the way the community has come together,” Klempp said.
Those interested in making a donation or collaborating on fundraising efforts can reach out to Klempp at nklempp@hollyvillage.org. Also check out Save Our Holly Union Depot on Facebook.