Historic Holly Union Depot Soon to Be Moved
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 18, 2025)
Holly, MI – A project to move the historic Holly Union Depot is chugging along, with the move itself slated to take place in April.
The Holly Union Depot is named not for the Army or for organized labor, but for the simple fact that it exists at the point where two railroad lines meet.
The depot was built in 1886, replacing an 1865 depot which had burned in 1884. The new depot had two waiting rooms, with one solely for women. The Holly Union Depot also had a lunch counter. And in times of war women used the depot to distribute meals to soldiers. And in 1908 the depot was where prohibitionist Carry Nation arrived in town on her quest to rid the world of “demon rum.” The Depot served passengers until about 1964.
Peter Stouffer is the Project Manager overseeing the move. He shared details of the move, as well as what comes next.
According to Stouffer, in the 1980s the owner of the railway wanted to demolish the building. It was unable to be used because of its proximity to the tracks and has sat vacant for decades. Community members didn’t want to see part of history be torn down, so in the 80s and 90s a committee got together to raise money to buy the building and put it on the National Historic Register.
The committee did some restoration work, including repairing bricks, lighting, heat and air conditioning, and the roof. In the early 2000s the right of way rules for railroad tracks changed, meaning the building was too close to be accessed and by 2019 enough interest had built up to actively revive efforts for a move. Led by then DDA-Director Katy Golden and subsequent Director Nick Klempp, along with other concerned community members, over $800,000 was raised for the move.
The next step, Stouffer said, was to “find a place to put it.”
Villagers aimed to keep the depot close to its original part of town, in the open are between the tracks and the buildings of the core downtown. The committee purchased three lots from one of the railroad companies closer to Broad Street. In order to maintain their historic designation, the building must keep the same orientation, and must stay as true to the original layout as possible.
Prep work has already begun on the site, with the removal of a tree to make way for the building. Flooring and windows have been repaired and the Village of Holly Department of Public Works has started on the interior woodwork. The new location has been staked out and the engineering plan has been completed
In February masonry work was done to make sure the structure is supported during the move, and in March digging began on the site. Wolfe House and Building Movers, a company based in Indiana that specializes in historic moves, was contracted for the project.
Stouffer explained that they will dig under the building and put six robots underneath it. The robots will very slowly lift the depot and drive it up a ramp then deposit it gently in it’s new place.
The move will take place at the end of April.
“There is still a tremendous amount of work to do afterwards,” Stouffer said. Wood cribbing will be used to hold the building while a basement is dug beneath it. The basement and preliminary work should be done by the end of June.
However, the building will still have more to be done before being open for public use.
“Phase three is fixing it,” Stouffer said. “and we haven’t finished fundraising for that yet.”
Among the necessities are finishing the basement and the flooring, and making sure cracks in the bricks are sealed. There’s also HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and fire suppression work that needs to be done.
Phase four includes the outside work including landscaping, paving, and fencing.
The final use of the depot has not yet been determined, however about twenty years ago the Village Council passed a resolution that the depot would not contain any private business, and that it would be designated for public use. The Depot Committee will make a recommendation to the Village as the project nears completion.
The entire project is estimated to cost $1.8 million dollars, with about $1 million left to go. Of the funding leading up to the move, there were a number of large donations, small donations, grants and fundraisers.
“The depot is part of the fabric of the community,” Stouffer said. “The amount of time put in, and the amount of money raised, show how important the railroad is to the village. The next generation needs to be kept aware of the history here.”
The website HollyUnionDepot.org gives more information about the depot and the efforts to save and relocate it.
