Willow Tree station (LIRR)

For the open NSW TrainLink station, see Willow Tree railway station.

Willow Tree
The former site of the station, now the platforms at the Hillside Facility.
General information
Location	Hamilton Street Hollis, Queens, New York
Coordinates	40.707835°N 73.776746°W / 40.707835; -73.776746
Line(s)	Main Line
Platforms	1
Tracks	2
History
Opened	March 1, 1837
Closed	June 1872
Former services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station Jamaica toward Long Island City or Penn Station Main Line Bellaire toward Greenport

Willow Tree was a Main Line Long Island Rail Road station that was opened on the north side of the tracks and the west side of 183rd Street, then known as Hamilton Street.^[1] It was located in what is today the Hollis section of Queens, New York City.

History

Willow Tree station opened on March 1, 1837, when Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) service opened to Hicksville.^[2][3] The land for the Willow Tree station was 50 by 562.6 feet (15.2 by 171.5 m) and was purchased on April 18, 1836. Willow Tree can be found in timetables as early as October 1, 1852, and as late as November 4, 1867.^[4] In the year ending June 30, 1861, 75,650 quarts of milk were received from the Willow Tree station.^[5]

An 1868 book says that only the Sunday excursion trains, and the North Islip and Hempstead passenger trains regularly stop there.^[6] On April 23, 1869, on the eve of the LIRR's 35th anniversary, a three car train, pulled by Thurlow Weed, hit a broken rail and derailed just east of Willow Tree at 187th Street. Six people died and 14 people were seriously injured.^[4]

There was no depot building, but there was a dwelling house located close to the track which was fitted with a seat fixed on the outside for the use of waiting passengers. In September 1871, LIRR President Oliver Charlick decided to abandon the station, and the station is last listed in June 1872.^[7] However, on a track map its closure is listed as 1880.^[8] After its closure, it was superseded by the Rockaway Junction station. Since 1991, the site of the Willow Tree station has been occupied by the present site of the platforms for the Hillside Facility over the 183rd Street bridge.^[9]

References

1. "STREET NAME CHANGES IN QUEENS, NEW YORK". Stevemorse.org. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
2. "LONG ISLAND STATION HISTORY". Trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
3. "BROOKLYN & JAMAICA RAIL ROAD, ATLANTIC AVENUE". Arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
4. "CABIN 10 JAMAICA". Arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
5. "Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the Year". Books.google.com. 1862. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
6. "Long Island via the Long Island Railroad. With sketches of ... objects of ..." Books.google.com. 1868. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
7. Seyfried, Vincent F. (1961). The Long Island Rail Road, a comprehensive history. ... v.3. - Full View - HathiTrust Digital Library - HathiTrust Digital Library. Retrieved July 3, 2015 – via Hathitrust.org.
8. "Arrt's Arrchives pre-1903 track map from Jamaica to Willow Tree" (JPG). Arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
9. "Robert Emery Track Map showing Hillside Facility, the old location of Willow Tree, noting that it closed in 1872 and Hollis station". Trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original (JPG) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2015.