NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — A northeast Ohio historian is salvaging some old lumber from railroad bunkhouses from the 1850s.

What You Need To Know

  • The North Ridgeville railroad bunkhouses are being demolished 
  • The North Ridgeville station was renamed the Shawville Station in 1890

  • Around 10 trains per day stopped at the Shawville station

Bill Noll is on a mission to save some history from being thrown away.

"This building was built probably 1855-58, around that time," said Noll.

Noll is the treasurer of the North Ridgeville Historical Society. He's also a historian who wrote a book about North Ridgeville's rich history and a wood reclaimer. 

"This building has to come down. The Historical Society obtained it from the lumber company who was here, who had got it from the railroad years ago, and it was part of the old bunkhouse, which was part (of the) Shawville station," said Noll.

Noll believes it's good wood and should be saved.

"The entire building is built out of old, old-growth Douglas Fir. All the studs, all the wood, everything is old Douglas Fir," he said.

There was an effort to save the bunkhouses but that ended up being too expensive, so they'll now be removed. 

"At one time, we were working with the city to get it moved up closer to the center of the city where we have our museum, but that all kind of fell through, so it got moved here," said Noll.

While the bunkhouses themselves can't be saved, the 170-year-old materials used to make them can be. 

"We are trying to save as much as we can. I'm working with a company here in Ridgeville, Woodloft, that tears down old buildings, and they try to reclaim the wood," said Noll. 

If you're interested in buying some lumber, you can reach out to the North Ridgeville Historical Society.​

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