Chuckey Depot Museum

Chuckey Depot Museum Opens in Jonesborough

October 1, 2017

Moving and restoring a historic building and 38-ton caboose is no easy feat, but officials with the town of Jonesborough celebrated years of work Monday afternoon with the opening of the Chuckey Depot Museum.

The museum, which sits beside the railroad tracks alongside a bright-red, 46-year-old Southern X450 caboose, used to rest alongside the railway in Chuckey and was owned for years by the Babb family.

When the depot was threatened with demolition, the Babb family worked with the town to secure a new spot, and more help came from the Heritage Alliance and the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society to begin the transformation from old depot to museum.

The stretch of land at 110 S. Second Ave. is also home to the W.C. Rowe Park, named after a lifelong Jonesborough resident who worked to foster a partnership between the town and county while serving four terms as a Washington County commissioner.

Rowe’s daughter, Jill Garcia, lives in Florida now, but was in town for the event and to see the park dedicated to her late father. She recalled the work he put into the town he loved so much and in which lived in his entire life.

“I was very humbled, as I know my father would have been too,” she said. “He loved this town so much, he never met a stranger. For something like this to built in his name, I just know he’s looking down and he’s so grateful.”

Town Operations Manager Craig Ford spoke to some of the challenges of moving the depot from its home in Chuckey and reassembling in its new home with the help of inmate labor crews. Ford said Linda Johnson Babb, who owned the the depot, checked in regularly on the status of its restoration, and while Babb passed away before the project was complete, Ford said he was happy that he could fulfill his promise to get the depot back up and running.

“I really hate Ms. Babb couldn’t be here today,” he said. “I’m happy to report I was at least able to call her and say, ‘Ms. Babb, we’re starting to put this depot back up,’ to which she was really excited, and I hate she couldn’t be with us today.”

Jessica Fuller — Johnson City Press