The Virginia Central Railroad extended to Clifton Forge in 1857 here, a point originally called Jackson River.

It became the passenger station in 1930 when the Gladys Inn was converted into the local YMCA building.

[3] It sits just east of a major locomotive fuel facility for CSX Transportation.

In 2013, Amtrak announced that it plans to move the stop to a new station built by the Chesapeake and Ohio Historical Society.

[4][5] The building is a replica of the original 1891 station,[3] and it is located on Main Street, east of the current facility.