Step inside the place where Covington met the wider world. The restored C&O passenger depot and its neighboring freight depot preserve the railroad story that reshaped the community after the rails arrived in 1867.

Before the railroad, Covington was a small mountain town built near the meeting of Dunlap Creek and the Jackson River. When the Virginia Central Railroad reached Covington on July 1, 1867, the town gained a dependable connection to markets, travelers and opportunities beyond the Alleghany Mountains. The line soon became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and Maple Avenue grew beside it as a center of transportation and commerce.

The depot complex reflects two important periods of that growth. The 1890 freight depot handled goods moving into and out of the community, while the refurbished 1908 passenger depot welcomed generations of residents, workers and visitors. People stepped from the train directly into the activity of Maple Avenue, with Hotel Collins waiting just across the street.

Today, the passenger depot is home to the Alleghany Historical Society. Exhibits, photographs, objects and changing displays connect the story of the railroad with the people, businesses and communities of the Alleghany Highlands.