On May 25, the Lansing Millis train station reopened after a thorough restoration project. The building had been vacant for several years and will now house the Millis Historical Museum and the food pantry.

Located in the Millis Center Historic District, the 1886 Romanesque Revival station is one of only two surviving stations from the original Charles River Branch Railroad. The building is known for its distinctive stone façade, which is said to contain rocks from each of the 38 states in the nation at the time of its construction.

At the ribbon cutting, Select Board member Ellen Rosenfeld, who spearheaded the project, said, "It's been a true pleasure. I loved it. I could see it at the beginning, what it could be, and it's probably past even my expectations. It will be this for at least 100 years."

Rosenfeld also purchased and donated a Holbrook bell which now resides inside the building.

"It's the oldest bell in town now, it's 1831," she said. "The bell over here [in front of the building], which my mother [Hindy, the first woman selectperson in Millis] donated in the mid-1980s, is 1845, and the bell in front of Town Hall is 1833."

She said her brother Jon created a stand for the bell in the same style as the other Holbrook bell on the site.

George Holbrook, the founder of the Holbrook Foundry which was located near Main and Spring Streets until 1880 when it closed, apprenticed under Paul Revere.

The historic train station had been in disrepair and underwent a series of improvements including a new roof, siding, painting, masonry repairs, restoration of decorative architectural features, electrical work, and more. The work was funded by Town Meeting appropriations, Community Preservation Act funds, and private donations.

State Sen. Rebecca Rausch attended the event and presented an official citation from the Senate in recognition of the completed project. She also noted she had recently secured $25,000 in the Senate for the building's parking lot.

State Rep. James Arena-DeRosa noted on Facebook (@jamesforstaterep) that he filed an earmark to help support the overall project, which had passed in the House of Representatives.

After the event, the Millis Historical Commission posted on Facebook (@MillisMAHistoricalCommission), "A big thank you to Ellen Rosenfeld and everyone involved in the restoration of our beautiful landmark, the Lansing Millis train station. We are overjoyed to see the train station receiving some much-needed love and restoration, and we are excited to see new life being breathed into this fabulous structure, which was built by our founding father. We look forward to seeing the finishing touches and are pleased that our elected officials were able to secure funding to rework the parking lot, further enhancing the beauty of this building."

To watch the recording of the ribbon-cutting event, visit Millis Community Media (@MCM900) on Facebook.