MOUNTAINVIEW STATION RESTAURANT
79 Main St, Center Ossipee, NH
Mountainview Station Restaurant is located inside a real historic railroad depot in Center Ossipee. The building dates back to 1875 - the same year the railroad reached Center Ossipee and the station became one of the key points in the development of the village.
The railroad had a major impact on Center Ossipee. As early as 1870, the town allocated nearly $20,000, about 5% of the town’s total assessed value at the time, to make sure the rail line would pass through Ossipee.
For a small community, this was a major investment. After the station opened in 1875, a new commercial center began to develop around it.
Before the railroad arrived, the main area of commerce was located in another part of the village, near the base of Grant Hill. After the station opened, stores, hotels, and various services gradually began to concentrate around the railroad.
In many ways, the railroad depot helped shape the Center Ossipee that exists today.
The History of the Name and the Station
In railroad records, Center Ossipee was known for a time as Mountainview - a name that came into use around the 1920s. This is where the restaurant’s current name, Mountainview Station, comes from.
As automobiles became more common, the importance of the railroad gradually declined. Passenger service in Ossipee ended in the 1950s, while freight service continued for some time afterward.
The site stopped being used as a railroad station around the early 1970s, but the old depot was not demolished. The historic building was preserved and later converted into a restaurant.
That is why the railroad theme inside Mountainview Station is not simply decorative styling inspired by an old train station - it is a direct continuation of the building’s real history. This is especially visible in the interior, with old railroad signs, photographs, a railroad signal, memorabilia, and many other historic details.
My Role as a Photographer
When you walk into this restaurant, your eyes immediately wander from one detail to another. The space is filled with historic objects, signs, photographs, and elements of railroad culture, and almost every one of them makes you want to stop and look closer.
During the shoot, it was important for me not only to show the overall interior, but also to draw attention to these details and capture the feeling of the place. Guests are literally dining inside a building that welcomed railroad passengers about 150 years ago. I wanted the photographs to convey the character of Mountainview Station and make viewers want to choose it as a place to visit.