Three Notch Museum

Story

The Central of Georgia Depot in Andalusia, Alabama is a historic train station that has been converted into the Three Notch Museum.Depot historyIn the late 1890s, business leaders in Andalusia posted a $5000 prize for the first rail line to pass through the town. The Central of Georgia Railway claimed the prize, completing the track in September 1899, and built a depot on land donated by residents. The town flourished with the new rail connection; population rose from 551 in 1900 to 2,480 in 1910. The last Norfolk Southern train, successor to the Central of Georgia, departed Andalusia on March 31, 1983.The wooden depot is similar in design to other small-town stations along the Central of Georgia line. The one-story, gable-roofed structure is clad with board and batten siding. Two front rooms with separate entrances were used as passenger waiting rooms. At the opposite end of the station is a large freight room. The agent's office spans the width of the building between the two, and features a gabled bay window. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.MuseumThe building was re-opened as a history museum in 1987; ironically, its name honors the second rail line to reach Andalusia, the Three Notch Railroad.Operated by the Covington Historical Society, the museum focuses on County history and area railroad history. Displays include many photographs, a bottle collection, historic cameras and accessories, tools and military artifacts. Other buildings in the museum include a restored post office with a period schoolroom in back, a pioneer log cabin and a country store. There are also two cabooses and a CSX motor car with a model railway layout outside the depot building.