One of Covington’s most historic properties recently hit the market for $1.35 million.
Covington Station, situated at an intersection of Pike and Russell streets, was listed for sale by Comey & Shepard on June 15. The 6,853 square foot, two-story Classical Revival style train depot features a red tile roof, four ionic style terra-cotta columns and a glass and metal canopy.
Constructed in 1922 by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, the depot was built to serve both the C&O and Louisville & Nashville railroads. Covington Station was the city’s primary passenger train depot until the late 1960s, when the service ceased due to declining ridership. Upon its closure, the building sat abandoned, continuing to deteriorate into the 1980s.
“Covington Station was a major station,” said rail historian Chris Mayhew in an interview with the Kenton County Library. “A lot of smaller communities wouldn’t have such a large station because a lot of people came through here on any given day in its heyday, especially the teens, the 20s, the 30s, the 40s.”
Inside is a large passenger waiting hall, two wings to the north and south of the waiting hall and four bay windows that let in natural light. Behind the station stands the concrete railroad viaduct constructed between 1927 and 1929.
Underneath the railroad tracks is a passenger concourse that has fallen into a state of disrepair after decades of disuse. The property also includes a parking lot with 47 spaces and a brick paved front drive.
The station is listed as being owned by Edgewood-based Places By Keystone Inc., according to Kenton County Property Valuation Administrator records. It was purchased in 1989, saved from demolition, then renovated to house four separate office suites.
Hub+Weber Architects and Wurz Financial Services currently operate out of the space; they are moving out of the building when their lease ends on Aug. 1.
“It’s in the center of the city and it’s standing true to it’s connectiveness,” said Comey & Shepard realtor Rebecca Weber. “We’ve been getting a lot of activity on it so far from the people who want connectiveness for their business. Hopefully it can return to being a crown jewel in the city.”
In addition, a scene from the 1991 movie “A Rage in Harlem” starring Forrest Whitaker, Gregory Hines and Danny Glover was shot at the Covington Station due to its resemblance to a 1950s Harlem train station.
Kenton County Library Director Tim Schroeder said the rise of car travel led to the eventual downfall of Covington Station’s original purpose.
“It’s somewhat ironic this building was built in the 1920s when cars were just becoming popular,” Schroeder said. “That development led to the eventual abandonment of the Covington Station.”
