Ridgefield Park Patriot from Ridgefield Park, New Jersey • A3

DEVASTATING FIRE Blaze destroys historic train station PHOTO BY BILL TOMPKINS More than 50 area firefighters were used to extinguish the fire at Hackensack's Anderson Street Train Station. BY HOWARD PROSNITZ Staff Writer A three-alarm fire destroyed the 140-year-old Anderson Street railroad station Saturday. The fire broke out at approximately 5:30 a.m. More than 50 firefighters from Hackensack, Bogota, Ridgefield Park and other nearby communities responded and were successful in preventing the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. One of the firefighters suffered a minor back injury.

No other injuries were reported. Hackensack Fire Chief Thomas Freeman said that NJ Transit stored propane tanks in the building, but that these were not believed to have caused of the fire. As of Monday, the cause was undetermined, and Freeman said he believed that it would remain so classified. Union Street resident Robert Leafe said he witnessed people crying as they watched the station burn. "I've always loved the place," said Leafe, who met his fiance for the first time as she was disembarking from a train at the station.

To the City of Hackensack, the loss was compounded. Although the station served NJ Transit as depot, its significance went beyond the utilitarian. Built in 1869, it was one of the few surviving original stations on county railroad lines and a landmark of the Anderson Street Historical District. And since 1962, the station was home to the Green Caboose, a thrift shop operated by volunteers from the Hackensack University Medical Center Auxiliary. The station was listed in both the National and the New Jersey Register of Historic Sites and is said to have been the second oldest railroad station in the state.

"Railroads brought the first commuters to the area," said Kevin Wright, former president of the Bergen County Historical Society. "It wasn't until the advent of the railroads that the distinctive suburban grid was overlaid on the county." Wright noted that nearly every town in Bergen County owes its name to its train station. Hackensack was officially known as New Barbados Township until 1921, although the Anderson Street station had long been designated as the Hackensack Station. Train stations were privately built. The citizens who donated the most money were granted the opportunity to name the station.

The names were generally chosen to attract real estate interests. Few original wood stations remain in Bergen County. "The high Victorian stations are replacements. Those little ones of the 1870s truly reflect the time when the railroad was little more than an iron horse, steam powered or even wood burning, drawing wagons," said Wright. The HUMC Auxiliary had leased the building from NJ Transit for $1 a year.

Robert Torre, executive vice president of the Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation, said that the auxiliary is seeking a new home for the thrift shop. "The loss is a real tragedy, in part, because of the community who used the Green Caboose," Torre said. Peggy Liosi, president of the auxiliary, noted that the Green Caboose sold almost everything except furniture. Most items were slightly used, but some were brand new, donated by stores that were going out of business. The most expensive things sold were cashmere dresses at $25 each.

"When people cleaned out their closets, they would bring what they didn't need to the Green Caboose," Liosi said. The Caboose was open six days a week and staffed by 22 unpaid volunteers, for whom the shop was a second home. Liosi noted that the Caboose brought in $40,000 to the hospital last year and was reaching for $50,000 this year. PHOTO BY TOM HART A fire destroyed the Anderson Street Train Station and the Green Caboose last Saturday. One Hackensack resident said witnesses cried as the landmark train depot burned.

E-mail: prosnitznorthjersey.com ADVERTISING FAX 973-569-7288 973-569-7259 CLASSIFIEDS FAX 1-866-457-1911 973-569-7440 Ridgefield Park Patriot publishes every Friday. Offices are located at 150 River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7172. Postage paid at Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660. Subscriptions: $99 per year via standard mail. Single copy: 25C Postmaster send address changes to Community Newspapers of North Jersey Media Group, 150 River Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7172.

Ridgefield Park PATRIOT 150 River Street Hackensack, NJ 07601-7172 2009 North Jersey Media Group Inc. CIRCULATION 1-888-504-4280 Photo Reprint Service and PDF Full-Page Sales We will reprint most staff and freelance photos and PDFs of pages that appeared in this newspaper since 33106. Photos and PDFs are sold for personal use only. All commercial andor other uses are strictly prohibited and may subject one to civil penalties. Visit www.northjerseyimages.com or call (973) 569-7017 or e-mail reprintsnorthjersey.com EDITORIAL 201-646-6921 FAX 201-646-6929 RPPatriotnorthjersey.com Home Delivery: Readers having particular concerns regarding home delivery, such as starting or stopping delivery during vacations, should please call the circulation number listed above.

We will be happy to address specific needs. Submissions: Ridgefield Park Patriot welcomes readers to submit photos and press releases for possible publication. Ridgefield Park Patriot is not responsible for submitted materials and will not return submitted materials. We are not responsible for typographical errors..