King Street Station, Seattle

King Street Station has its beginnings dating back to 1906 when the Northern Pacific and Great Northern officially opened it after two years of construction. The station came about due to a need to not only move main line tracks away from the waterfront but also replace an aging station located there.

The Northern Pacific Railway was the first of the three major Northwestern railroads to begin construction. Unlike many other railroads the Northern Pacific did not change names numerous times throughout its existence and would likewise never acquire numerous other smaller roads to form its system. Perhaps what the railroad is best remembered for is its Ying Yang herald and its distinguished flagship passenger train, the North Coast Limited, which used a beautiful two-tone green livery.

Of all the railroads James J. Hill owned or controlled in some way, the Great Northern Railway is by far his greatest masterpiece earning him the legendary nickname of Empire Builder. Under his tenor the railroad would stretch from the Midwest to Pacific Coast and of all the Northwestern roads the GN was by far the strongest and most respected. Even after 30+ years of being gone the railroad still holds strong influences and memories from its Empire Builder passenger train and prominent dark green, orange, and yellow livery to its beloved mascot and emblem, Rocky the mountain goat (a common animal to the Rocky Mountains).

King Street Station was designed and built by architects Reed and Stern of St. Paul, Minnesota and the builders used a nearly mile long tunnel under the city to unable the station to be a through design and not a stub-ended layout (as was the case at Union Station, meaning that rail service ended at the station and did not continue on as at King Street Station where the main line passed right beside the building). The station itself was built in red brick, terra cotta with a beautiful clock tower, with each clock façade displaying the times of the four cardinal directions. The building’s interior was also quite impressive with elaborate ceiling designs and marble used throughout (the station also features a beautiful compass on the floor of the entry hall named, appropriately enough, the Compass Room).

While King Street would not lose rail service, as train travel declined in the 1950s so too did the upkeep on the building. By the time of Amtrak in 1971 much of the marble had been removed from the building, a bland and unattractive false ceiling had covered the original, and under the ownership of the Burlington Northern microwave dishes had been placed on the clock tower.

But, fate once again looked down on the century old building and today its future looks brighter and more secure than ever. In March of 2008 a deal was finalized between the City of Seattle and BNSF Railway transferring ownership to the former in the way of a mere $10 purchase price. This ownership transfer has paved the way for nearly $30 million in restoration money to come available and the plan now is to completely restore the building to its original splendor. To the station is served by Amtrak and Sounder commuter trains, and one can still even watch passing container trains of the BNSF Railway. Even better, King Street Station is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

For more information on the restoration of King Street Station please click here to visit this page at the Washington State Department of Transportation's website.

Lastly, for more reading about railroad stations you might want to consider a copy of Railroad Stations from author Brian Solomon. While the book is just a very general overview of some of the great stations that once stood in this country it is quite good with lots of historical photographs, including that of Grand Central Terminal and the late Pennsylvania Station (it also gives a history of the thousands of small depots that existed in most communities). All in all if you’re interested in stations and depots you’re sure to enjoy Mr. Solomon’s book on the subject.