A tragic fire struck one of Pulaski’s most recognizable venues early Monday morning. The first arriving fire engine reported heavy smoke and heavy fire from the Pulaski Depot. The Draper, Dublin, Newbern and Fairlawn fire departments were called for mutual aid assistance.

The Depot, a building on the National Historic Register, was home to the Raymond F. Ratcliffe Memorial Museum. Although a few items have been salvaged, the museum appears to be a total loss, according to Pulaski officials. The fire is under investigation by the Pulaski Fire Marshal’s Office.

Pulaski Mayor Jeff Worrell said this afternoon that the fire represented, “a devastating loss for our community. Losing the building is bad enough—it was on the National Register of Historic Places—buildings can be rebuilt and replaced. The loss of he contents of the museum is what’s truly heartbreaking. Those items are, of course, irreplaceable. There were some items salvaged, but with heavy smoke and water damage.”

Worrell said that he did not know the immediate future of the Depot but he said that Pulaski’s council and administration will be addressing this issue in the coming days.

“It is really sad news,” said Pulaski Town Council member Morgan Welker. “The artifacts lost are irreplaceable. The station was one of our most important and recognizable landmarks. I’m really at a loss for words right now.”

Welker expressed hope that some of the items inside the Depot were saved and said that he was “grateful that so many of the old photographs there had recently been scanned
and copied.”

The disastrous fire is not just a blow to the Town of Pulaski but to the entire county. “This is a terrible loss for our community, especially in terms of its cherished historical artifacts,” said Robert Hiss, assistant county administrator for Pulaski County. “Most of the citizens, especially those who have been here for decades, have a personal connection to the facility.”

Hiss said that the train station was important to the area’s past, present, and future. “[It was] a timeless example of this community’s prosperity and industrial significance,” His said. “The present use as a museum and central downtown location for the farmers market, fairs/festivals, and community gatherings illustrated its versatility. The future was bright with the growth of its renewed mission with the planned railroad and transportation museum annex and as the destination for the New River Trail extension.”

Hiss added that the County wishes to partner with the Town in transitioning through this event and said that the county has offered storage space for any items that can be salvaged and will assist as requested with the clean-up and disposal efforts.

Peggy White, executive director for the Pulaski Chamber of Commerce said that losing the train station and seeing the damage was like losing a part of the past.

“The train station represented a part of our past but was a piece of our culture,” White said. “It is devastating to the community.”

Town Manager John Hawley echoed those sentiments. “We were a railroad town and that was the center of our community,” Hawley said, adding that so much of the community had an investment in the building and the history it represented.

Hawley said that a meeting will take place tomorrow with an architect and city officials at the site to try to gauge what the next steps might be for the Depot.

Tim W. Jackson is Editor of the New River Voice.