FROM ADAICON.COM

By Paula Pyzik Scott
With excerpts from A&D social media

When a building outlives its original purpose, what happens to it? Upper-level students from Ohio Northern’s Art & Design program asked this question about Ada’s 1887 Pennsylvania Railroad Depot at Central and Main. During an 8:00 p.m. outdoor event on October 23, they projected their visions onto the building.

In one student’s segment, ghostly train cars rolled across the windows, doors and siding of the building. Another moment showed visitors departing the depot in a horse and carriage.

The state purpose of the event was “to spark dialogue around preservation, memory, and identity by reimagining how we engage with the physical and historical landscape of our village.” Guests and students viewed images that were both informative and evocative of the depot's history.

In prior weeks, students toured the building with Mayor Dave Retterer and conducted historical research at the Ada Public Library with guidance from library director Rhett Grant.

One of the design students commented that she had never been on a train. Another felt the red caboose emblazoned with “Pennsylvania” was the site’s biggest attraction. Others express their regret that the second floor, where a model railroad club once met, can no longer be accessed due to a deteriorating staircase. One suggested it is the perfect place for an Ada history museum.

Read more at Grafik Intervention reflects on depot's past and future