The freight house was a structure elevated a few feet above the level of the boardwalk. This matched the level of the freight compartment of the passenger trains that passed adjacent to the structure. When a train arrived, a plank was put in place to span the gap over the boardwalk, from the train floor to the deck of the freight house; that way, freight could be easily carried to and from the freight house directly to the train. The photo shows what appears to be luggage or packages on the deck of the freight house, ready for transfer to the train.
Also in the photo, we see the fountain base of the Loammi Bean statue, without the statue. This dates the photo as likely to have been taken shortly after the statue was destroyed on July 23, 1931.