Donates Good Hope depot model to library in Destrehan
Five years in the making and with a $40,000 price tag, Valero kept its promise to restore a piece of St. Charles Parish history.
On Monday, Valero’s St. Charles Refinery donated and delivered a model of the historic Good Hope Train Depot to the East Regional Library in Destrehan.
“It’s taken us a few years,” said Valero spokeswoman Taryn Rogers. “We had an architect from New Orleans, as well as model and pedestal makers for the project and had a glass cover made. We wanted to fulfill our promise to the community.”
The depot, which dated back to the 1920s, was certainly a memorable feature for the parish.
When Valero acquired the Norco site where the building was located on Prospect Street, it also assumed the responsibility of trying to save the historic structure, Rogers said. The company used it as an office building until it became difficult to maintain the aged structure.
The company considered relocating the building across the river because of its importance to residents in the parish and especially Norco, but it was determined it could not be done safely.
With approval from Norco residents, Valero demolished the building but agreed to create a model in remembrance of the location.
Reflecting the depot as it was in the 1950s, the model was delivered to a welcoming crowd of about 20 people that included former Parish President V.J. St. Pierre, who praised Valero for keeping its promise, along with parish officials and families who recounted their memories of the depot.
Ginette Bone of New Orleans was the project architect. Bone also provided the project dimensions to place the depot on a wooden pedestal.
“It turned out be a very intimate time where residents recounted their memories about the depot,” Rogers said of the dedication.
Capt. Pat Yoes with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office provided his recollections of the area having grown up near the site.
“Thanks to Valero, we still have something to remember the depot by,” Yoes said. “Although they were unable to find a new home for the depot, they did create this replica. My father-in-law H.M. Prescott worked in this depot for many years.”
Yoes has a painting of the depot hanging on his wall done by Janet Klein in Kenner.
“Once located on present day Valero Refinery, the Good Hope Train Depot was a bustling hub of activity for much of the 1900s,” he said. “It provided import and export materials to Shell Oil and General American.”
After the railroad closed the depot, it became part of Valero’s predecessors. When Valero purchased the refinery, it started expanding and the depot was in the way of progress.
“To Valero’s credit, they did their very best to find a home for this historic building,” Yoes said. “Unfortunately, every possible solution was ruled out due to the high cost of moving such a massive building.”
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