Port Jervis residents and volunteers clash with council over railroad artifacts

A heated public-comment period at a Port Jervis Common Council meeting focused on the future of a local railroad exhibit, with residents and volunteer preservationists demanding that artifacts remain in the city and pressing the council for clarity about who owns the items.

"You guys are selling our history off," said Gerald Martin, a longtime resident who addressed the council during the public comment period. Martin and other residents said they worry that donated or loaned items, including a historic turntable and a museum rail car, could be removed from Port Jervis.

Neil Finch, who identified himself as chairman and vice president of Toyax, described Toyax and allied volunteer groups as preservationists who have spent "countless thousands of hours" caring for the equipment since moving collections to the site in 2021. Finch said volunteers want to keep the artifacts in Port Jervis but have faced inconsistent information from the city and other organizations about ownership and site management.

Mayor Thomas Segalis responded that "the historic turntable is not being demolished" and that "the land is not being sold," adding that the city has filed for a BOA and that residents' chief concern—keeping artifacts in the city—was shared by the administration. He encouraged those with questions to follow up with city staff.

Speakers and volunteers disputed whether specific items are city property, loaned, or donated to nonprofit organizations. Toyax and Tri States representatives said items catalogued as donations to Tri States remain the nonprofit's property; residents countered that many items had been loaned or originally belonged to the city and should be returned. Council members and Toyax representatives said they are reviewing documentation and cataloging to determine which artifacts were donated, which were loans, and which belong to the city.

The exchange included specific allegations that a Port Jervis Heritage Center applied for a DRI grant claiming ownership of equipment without notifying other local preservation groups. Toyax representatives said they had been told the three groups would work together on a grant, then learned the Port Jervis Heritage Center submitted an application asserting ownership. Toyax said it would prefer to keep the equipment in Port Jervis and indicated it is exploring options to relocate artifacts within Orange County if necessary.

The council did not take formal action on ownership during the meeting; Mayor Segalis moved the body into executive session shortly after the public comment exchange to discuss a contractual matter. When council returned to public session, members reiterated that items documented as city property or loans would be returned to the city; items documented as donations to a nonprofit would remain with that nonprofit unless other agreements are reached.

The council and preservation groups said they will continue to review provenance documentation and catalog records. The mayor and council did not announce a final disposition at the meeting; residents and volunteers were advised to follow up with the city clerk or staff for additional information.