Shirley Simmons (with Lynn McConnell’s help)
January, 2026
Our article “ What About our Depots?” published in 2021 in Historically Speaking noted that we were hoping to find more details of the building of the Little Depot in Fuquay Springs. Thanks to a long-time railroad friend and historian, Lynn McConnell, we have some new light on this depot. This researcher and historian is looking for paint samples and other specific facts about the rail structures.
According to the Durham Daily Sun of October 2, 1903, a contract was given for construction of this depot. In a short portion within a longer article, the following information was gleaned and shared by McConnell. So Mr. Houston built the Little Depot located on Depot Street sometime shortly after October, 1902.
This would have been the depot which we have only seen in one post card. That card relates it as the Raleigh & Southport Depot, the name under which Mr. Mills reorganized the line in 1905. This seems to prove what we knew. The Depot was built because the Jones Family declared, either build it or lose our donation of land for a depot within 6 months. Evidently they gave the additional land when the contract was drawn up and expected the depot would be forthcoming according to their Oct 15, 1903 document. (see Article in 2021)
We also are indebted to McConnell for sharing the Rand McNally map of the early rail lines. This shows that the Raleigh and Cape Fear which came to our Varina in 1899, stopped at a location called Sippahaw. The name Sippahaw, sometimes mistakenly said to be an old name for our town, was actually the post office between 1900-1902. This occurred when politics decreed that the post office named Varina would be changed to Sippahaw after the election of 1900 because our Squire Ballentine had been leading the opposition (Democrats) and the Republicans won the election. In 1902, Hattie Parker applied and got the name changed to Fuquay Springs because the traffic was coming by rail to our mineral spring.
Squire Ballentine’s Varina name for the Post Office from 1880-1900 was again picked up and a new post office created named Varina, near the Union Depot, in 1913. As one of our docents often wags, “Varina” was first located in Fuquay Springs and only later on Broad Street.
A second map dated 1909 shows the complete list of stops along the Raleigh and Southport line. Note the Fuquay Springs name and all the other local stops. When Jasper Ashworth was conductor on this line, the train made 65 stops between Raleigh and Fayetteville.
And finally we have another interesting date. The Durham and Southern Line to Dunn was originally the Cape Fear and Northern. The Durham Sun relates the conclusion of that line from Durham to Dunn with a celebration ride on Sept. 24, 1903. This line would have used the line through Varina. However, our facts indicated that the depot now used by the Aviator was not built until 1913. What was there, if anything before??? Another research to pursue.
