Preserving our story since 2006
A dedicated group of volunteers began the Village History Project as part of Central Square’s development plan. Their goal remains simple: preserve and share the people, places, and memories that shaped our community.
Through oral histories, interviews, photographs, drawings, audio recordings, and written accounts, the project documents how village life, architecture, and traditions have changed over time.
The work continues through monthly history meetings, community events, cemetery hikes, and walking and driving tours. Village Historian Heather Stevens also shares stories from the past in her regular “Cornerstone” column for the Citizen Outlet.
“Life is divided into three terms — that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future.”— William Wordsworth
Download a self-guided tour or browse the online historical collection.
Visit local history
Explore indoor and outdoor railroad exhibits, a comprehensive railroad library, and the restored atmosphere of the original station—complete with life-sized figures dressed in period clothing.
Railroad history in Central Square began around 1858 when the New York & Oswego Midland RR laid its tracks. The arrival of the Syracuse and Northern RR in 1871 made the village an important junction. The original 1868 station stood until a 1903 fire destroyed it and the adjacent Hamilton Hotel.
The present station was completed in 1909 as a joint effort of the New York, Ontario & Western RR and the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburg RR, later part of the New York Central System. Passenger service ended gradually; the station closed in 1964.
After several tenants used the building, the Central New York Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society began restoration in 1973. The museum expanded its grounds and outdoor displays before officially opening in December 1992.
Bob Ives discovered the original “Central Square” station sign at the Quaker Square Complex railroad museum in Akron, Ohio. After negotiations, this piece of local railroad history was returned to its rightful place in Central Square.