Maine Central Railroad Freight House (Bath Freight Shed) - Bath, Maine

The 180 foot long Freight Shed was built by the Maine Central Railroad in Bath, Maine, in 1890. It was moved to its current location at 27 Commercial Street in 1893. The freight shed was flanked by train tracks, and had a two story building on the south side, which was used for train crew that needed overnight accommodations. The two story building was replaced by a one story office building around 1918. Cargo transport through Bath was decreasing prior to World War I, and after the war, all the shipyards closed. Only the largest one, Bath Iron Works, reopened. 

The freight shed was used as storage for various businesses over the years. It stored coal, vehicles and was even used by a moving company for a time. Many ‌other warehouses in the area were torn down. The freight shed remained, but fell into disrepair. By 2010, there were large holes in the roof, and portions of the floor were missing. 

Theodore + Theodore Architects, an architectural firm ‌in Bath, Maine, founded the Bath Freight Shed Alliance, and partnered with the Bath Farmers Market on a successful crowdfunding campaign to save the building. It would be used as a community center, and could host the Farmers Market during the winter months. 

Work began on the building in 2011, and over the course of a few years the foundation was stabilized, the roof repaired, the windows replaced, and the building painted. In 2013, The Farmers Market could move into the building during the winter months. The Bath Freight Shed Alliance merged with Maine’s First Ship, the Virginia, in 2017. The shed currently houses a permanent exhibit about the ship. A wharf was added on the river next to the shed to be the home of the Virginia.