The roundhouse was built in 1887-88 by the Portland and Ogdensburg Railway, as a service point for extra steam locomotives needed to power trains up the steep grades of Crawford Notch. The Portland and Ogdensburg was acquired by lease in 1888 by the Maine Central Railroad. The facility was used by the Maine Central, and was taken out of service after regular passenger service was ended on the line in 1958. Two bays were lengthened in 1913 to accommodate larger engines, and two other bays were demolished about 1950, as usage of the facility declined. It was then sold to the state, which used it as a sand and storage shed until the 1980s. It is now undergoing restoration by a local non-profit organization.