"Several people were surprised at the information available at both sites."
That line comes from the minutes of the Franklin Township Historical Advisory Committee's January 5, 2026 meeting. Chairperson Carol Coulbourn reported that more than 200 people visited both the History Center and the Franklinville Railroad Station during the most recent Christmas at the Center event. The two sites she named sit on the same road. So does the township library, which also hosts the fall book sale and a lending shelf that includes a pickleball set.
The township's October calendar keeps listing two addresses, 1547 and 1584 Coles Mill Road. For the next three months, a good share of Franklinville's public calendar happens there.
The Depot That Moved Three Times
The Franklinville Railroad Station didn't start where it stands now. An NJ.com account from 2011 describes it as a passenger stop that once sat behind the Franklinville firehouse on County Route 538. By then the building had been moved three times, and it was relocated to its current lakeside site after being donated to the township in 2007.
The building's age is still unsettled. A 2010 local-history piece on NJ.com places it in the Millville Railroad chronology. That line was completed in 1860, the Millville and West Jersey Railroad reached Newfield four years later, and the piece says a Franklinville station was built in 1867. A 2014 South Jersey Times report puts construction in the early 1880s. Both accounts are in print, and visitors can ask the volunteers which one they trust.
The 2011 account described an original waiting room with a ticket window and benches, plus a stationmaster's office holding artifacts. The cargo room held a Lionel layout with a snowy mountain, a bridge, a Plasticville village, five running trains, a trolley, holiday decorations and hidden details. That description is nearly fifteen years old, so this season's layout may look different. At a 2014 open house run by the township's Historical Advisory Committee, members of the Albertson family operated the trains and answered visitors' questions.
This season the township lists the station at 1547 Coles Mill Road. It's open to visitors from October 3, 2026 through January 2, 2027, noon to 3 p.m. Older articles give the station's address as 1584. Use the current township listing when you plan a visit. The calendar gives a date range and hours but doesn't list each open day within that range, so check it before you go.
What 1584 Coles Mill Road Holds
A short way up the road, 1584 Coles Mill Road houses the Franklin Township Community Center. Inside are the Franklin Township Library and the township's history center, which the township calls the Betty Bajewicz Historical Center. The Historical Advisory Committee holds its meetings in that room.
The committee's January minutes show what kind of research happens there. Henry Kobik told members the Franklinville Inn was older than the country. Martin Schwartz reported that a visit to the Gloucester County Historical Society turned up two Revolutionary soldiers from Franklin Township, Joel Stewart and Salomon Stenger. Stewart was reportedly buried in the Porchtown Methodist Cemetery. Kobik and Schwartz said they'd walk that cemetery to look for the grave, and Coulbourn planned to ask Pastor Lawrence Hickman whether the church had a map of grave locations. Members were also encouraged to suggest ideas for the country's 250th anniversary.
The minutes also note that the local Sentinel was going fully digital in February, and members suggested posting history articles on the township website. With print coverage shrinking, the committee's volunteers handle much of the local history work themselves, and they do it from this building and the depot.
In October the history center is open to the public on Wednesday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon.
October on Coles Mill Road, by Date
The township calendar and the library's October newsletter cover the same two addresses. Put together, the month looks like this:
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Oct. 1, 6:30 p.m. | Fish & Whistle, bluegrass and acoustic rock | Library |
| Sat., Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Wooly Weekend: Needle Felted Squirrel, adults, registration required | Library |
| Sat., Oct. 3, noon–3 p.m. | Railroad Station opens for the season | 1547 Coles Mill Road |
| Wed., Oct. 7, 10 a.m.–noon | Historical Center open | Community Center |
| Sat., Oct. 10, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Wooly Weekend: Needle Felted Witch or Gnome | Library |
| Mon., Oct. 12 | Columbus Day, municipal services and library closed | Townwide |
| Wed., Oct. 14, 10 a.m.–noon | Historical Center open | Community Center |
| Sat., Oct. 17, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. | Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale | Community Center |
| Mon., Oct. 19, 6:30–7:30 p.m. | Barking Book Buddies with Tri-State K9 Response Team | Library |
| Wed., Oct. 21, 10 a.m.–noon | Historical Center open | Community Center |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 1–4 p.m. | Adult Dungeons & Dragons, limited to six players | Library |
| Fri., Oct. 30, 10:30–11:30 a.m. | Trick or Treat at the Library | Library |
On Saturday, October 3, the felting workshop wraps up at 12:30 p.m., half an hour after the station opens its doors for the season. That's the first of many weeks when one trip up Coles Mill Road can cover a library program and the depot in the same afternoon.
The library's regular hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It's closed Sundays. Pizza for the library's game night on October 28 is donated by Nick's Pizzeria and Steakhouse in Franklinville.
The Shelf That Lends More Than Books
The township's history is one reason to visit this stretch. The library's lending shelf is another, and it serves fall weekends well beyond Coles Mill Road. According to the library's June 2026 brochure, the Library of Things includes:
- Binoculars and a pocket microscope
- A Bluetooth mini speaker and a portable record player
- A portable DVD player
- Bocce ball, horseshoe and pickleball sets
- Board games
- An ice cream maker and a wine chiller
- A garden kneeling seat and a stud finder
- A mobile hotspot
The rules matter if you're planning around a specific date. Items are for adult cardholders, 18 and older, in good standing. They go out first come, first served, and they can't be held or renewed. If you want a speaker for a Halloween bonfire, which the October newsletter suggests, pick it up early in the week before someone else does.
The same library card covers museum passes. Funded by the Friends of Franklin Township Library, they currently include Winterthur Gardens and Estate in Delaware, the newest addition, along with Philadelphia's Magic Gardens and the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. The same Friends group also puts on the October 17 book sale.
Into the Holiday Stretch
The station's posted season runs through January 2, 2027, which covers the whole holiday period. The committee chair reported in January 2026 that the Christmas at the Center event had brought in more than 200 visitors across the History Center and the depot. That event connects both buildings, so keep an eye on the township calendar for this season's date.
For households that already know Franklinville through the lake, the inn and the farm stands, the weekend schedule we mapped earlier still applies. Coles Mill Road adds a second schedule from October through New Year's. The depot is open noon to 3, the history center is open on October Wednesday mornings, and the library's lending shelf runs first come, first served six days a week. More on the town is on our Franklinville neighborhood page.
If a move fits around your family's holiday calendar this year, Jennifer Ferrara can lay out a Franklinville selling timeline that starts and ends when you choose. Get Your Free Home Valuation and you'll have the numbers before the station closes for the season on January 2.
