Lynchburg's passenger train station is celebrating a big anniversary.
Wednesday is the Kemper Street Station's 100th Birthday. The first passenger trains rolled in on October 31, 1912.
To commemorate the milestone, Lynchburg train enthusiasts presented Amtrak with a framed picture of the station in its early days.
The photo was taken in 1958 by Lynchburg-area resident, Howard Gregory. Amtrak officials are displaying the image in the train station lobby.
To think of all the things this station has seen over the last 100 years makes it quite significant," Gregory said. "The soldiers leaving for war, the happy reunions here, and on occasion some soldiers left and never came home."
When the station opened, 12 different passenger trains came through the city every day. Today, there are only four.
Despite the drop in service over the past century, Amtrak officials say the Lynchburg venue has experienced a resurgence in recent years.
Kemper Street Station was substantially renovated in 2002, and more passengers are using the station thanks to the Northeast Regional service, which came to Lynchburg in 2009.
