Ten years ago, a group of people from the area did something truly remarkable: They stopped waiting for government or even private industry to step in and take care of a problem in their community, choosing instead to take the reins into their own hands — and they saved a significant piece of Suffolk’s history.
On Saturday and Sunday, friends and fans of the Suffolk Seaboard Station Railroad Museum will get together to recall the hard work that they put into the process of restoring the old building on N. Main Street. They will revel in the fact that the historic resource now provides educational and recreational opportunities for hundreds — if not thousands — of children each year. And they will look with some measure of excitement to a future of more programs and opportunities to enlighten Suffolk residents and visitors about the grand old days of the railroad in Suffolk.
Mostly, however, they’ll celebrate their love of trains, old train stations and historic Suffolk. The museum is a great place to satisfy the appetites of all sorts of people, just as the visionary organizers of the preservation effort that climaxed in 2000 knew it would be.
It was an effort spearheaded by the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society. But it was an effort that required for its success cooperation and contributions — both of money and talent — from individuals, businesses, the city government and charitable foundations. And it was one that brought people from across the political, social and geographic spectrum together, working for one purpose.
That’s the kind of thing a community should remember. And it’s the kind of thing that calls for a big anniversary celebration. Kudos to those who were involved in the original effort and to those who’ve worked to make sure Suffolk’s railroad museum has continued to be successful.