The railroad came to Naugatuck in 1849 and by the turn-of-the-century the lines through town were owned by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad. When the time came to design a new and larger railway station, John H. Whittemore, Naugatuck’s great manufacturer and philanthropist, who had done so much to shape the architecture of the town center according to his vision of a “City Beautiful,” offered to help pay for its construction if he could select the building’s architect. Whittemore, who was also director of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad, commissioned Henry Bacon to design the station, which was constructed between 1908 and 1910. The style of the building has been described as Spanish Colonial Revival, but also as Italian Villa style. Although trains still stop at a newer station nearby, the old station closed in the mid-1960s. Used for a time as a newspaper plant by the Naugatuck Daily News, the building has more recently been restored and converted into a museum by the Naugatuck Historical Society.
The train station has been sold by the Borough and is in the process of being renovated into a restaurant. The Naugatuck Historical Society is in the process of relocating to the Tuttle House, once it is renovated, which the Board of Ed has vacated and returned to the Borough.
The restaurant is now in operation as “The Station” restaurant and catering establishment. They’ve used the spacious interior to good effect.
The Historical Society has announced their grand opening in the Tuttle House for Saturday, December 10, 2022.