The Ironton Norfolk and Western Depot is a former train station in downtown Ironton, Ohio, United States. Constructed at the beginning of the twentieth century, it served the transportation needs of its community for more than half a century, and it has been named a historic site because of its place in local history.HistoryIronton and the surrounding Hanging Rock region were once among Ohio's most prominent industrial regions, due to extensive deposits of iron ore that were worked in the region's numerous charcoal-fired blast furnaces. For part of this period, land transportation in the region was served by the Scioto Valley Railroad, which enabled the Norfolk and Western Railway to gain access to the area in 1881 by purchasing the smaller railroad. By this time, industry was transitioning away from traditional iron smelting toward more modern methods of steel manufacturing, requiring the construction of improved trackside facilities in Ironton. As a result, the N&W erected the present station, beginning in 1906 and finishing construction in the following year. While it was built to furnish transportation for industrial purposes, the station also served the city's ordinary freight and passenger traffic needs. Trains ceased using the station when it closed in 1969. Since that time, the depot has been purchased by Ironton's city government, which leases it for commercial purposes; a series of restaurants has operated out of the building since its closure. In preparation for one such occupant, extensive renovations were performed in 2007, including refinishing of the hardwood floors, repairs to the roof, and replacement of older windows.
