The station opened in 1846 as part of the
Lexington and West Cambridge Railroad. It was damaged by fire on November 24, 1918. Although a new station was planned, the old station was instead restored in 1921–22. These renovations, designed by
Kilham, Hopkins & Greeley, included a cupola and colonnade. The line became part of the
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
Commuter Rail system in the 1960s, though the station building was converted to a bank by 1968. In January 1977, following a major snowstorm which temporarily shut down the Lexington Branch, the MBTA announced that service on the branch would not be restored; in the 1980s, the MBTA planned to extend the
Red Line to Route 128 along the former path of the Lexington Branch as part of the
Northwest Extension, including service to Lexington station, but fierce opposition from the residents of
Arlington scuttled this plan, and the Northwest Extension was cut short to . The building now serves as the headquarters of the
Lexington Historical Society. Lexington and
Bedford Depot are the only remaining station buildings from the Lexington Branch. ==References==