Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Transportation

Location

36 Erie St, Brockport, NY 14420, USA

Lat/Long

43.214787, -77.940489

Grant Recipient

Brockport Community Museum

*Please note – this marker has been reported missing as of 1/17/2024.

Operating from 1908 to 1931, the Trolley Depot at the former Brockport Station served as a valuable hub of transportation, making travel within, to, and from Brockport both cheaper and faster. Originally introduced to Brockport in 1908 by the Buffalo, Lockport, and Rochester Railway, which would become the Rochester, Lockport, and Buffalo Railroad Corporation following financial difficulties and a restructuring in 1919, the interurban railway utilized then cutting-edge electric cars that ran more frequently than traditional steam-powered trains. These trolleys provided an efficient way to navigate Brockport, while also allowing for an affordable and quick commute to Rochester.

Students, workers, and travelers alike utilized the twenty trolleys operating from the depot, which would make frequent trips between 9:00am and 1:00pm. It was reported that trolleys were also used for freight, particularly for transporting produce and dairy products.

However, in April of 1931 the Brockport Republic reported that the “advent of the motor car sounded the death knell for the line”, which had been operating at a loss. The Trolley Depot at the Brockport Station closed that year. As of 2021 it was reported that remnants of the depot can be found within the current renovated structure on location.