Railroad Stations and Depots, Historical Buildings and Architectural Masterpieces

American railroad stations (also known as terminals and depots) used to be an all too common sight in our country as almost every town, large and small, could claim one, which was largely due to the fact that railroads once went literally everywhere, reaching almost any and every town.  As the railroad industry progressed and grew, so did its stations which became more and more ornate and grand, ultimately culminating in this country’s (and perhaps even the world’s) greatest and most stunning railroad station ever built, New York City’s grand Pennsylvania Station (or Penn Station) constructed by the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) at the beginning of the 20th century and opened in 1910.

Seen here is the small town depot in St. Marys, West Virginia during the early 1900s. It was constructed by the Ohio River Rail Road, which was acquired by the Baltimore & Ohio. The building was razed in the 1960s.

Penn Station, however, would survive only a mere 57 years (and in many ways would be the spinning image of the rise and fall of the railroad industry itself through the 1970s), as the PRR was desperate for cash during the 1960s and ordered its demolition to sell off the property and air rights. While many other railroad stations would meet a similar fate between the 1950s and 1970s, the loss of Penn Station signaled a change in this country’s attitude towards its historic structures as the outrage in the aftermath of its loss triggered a movement to preserve these buildings (the result of which thwarted later efforts to demolish the New York Central’s breathtaking Grand Central Terminal, also located in New York City).

While Penn Station was without question this country’s most famous railroad station those which served the smaller towns and cities across the country were much more than just buildings to load and unload passengers. For many years until the automobile became a reliable means of transportation the railroad station/depot was the center of life for these towns as it was the only means to the outside world for most folks. Not only did you use the building to board and de-board your train it also usually always delivered the goods you purchased.

Railroad stations built during the 19th and early 20th centuries were true works of art, many with designs which reflected the Victorian or Roman eras as well as being constructed many times from the very same materials such as marble and crystal, which is a big reason why many are preserved and so coveted today (especially after the loss of Penn Station which used countless tons of many different types of marble in its construction).  Even the railroad stations and depots from the same time period which built from wood and/or brick were likewise constructed with beautiful designs in mind (many of these were also from the Victorian era), which is why those smaller towns and cities who have preserved their depots take such pride in them (and many times these buildings are the centerpiece efforts in revitalizing their downtown areas, whether the railroad tracks still remain in place or not).

The B&O's beautiful Point of Rocks station in Maryland was designed by architect E. Francis Baldwin, completed in 1876. It sits along the junction of the railroad's Old Main Line and newer route. It is seen here on the evening of September 22, 2007 still serving as a station stop for MARC.

As the automobile came of age, however, and our highway infrastructure became much better the local railroad station fell from importance and no longer was the most essential building in towns and cities. As the 1950s came so went the local depot in most smaller towns and cities where the car or truck was much more accessible and reliable for the short to medium distances folks usually traveled (it was also a huge financial drain on the railroads to maintain these smaller depots where the little passenger traffic there quickly dried up after World War II, so they were very happy to discontinue these trains and shutdown the depots if possible). And, by the 1960s even the larger and more prominent railroad stations were not immune to closure or demolition.

Many of these stations are prominent and truly beautiful enough to worthy extra mention and are listed here:

The Soo Line's freight depot at its East Houghton Yard in Michigan was still loading and unloading cars in April of 1975 when this photo was taken. The area has since been transformed until commercial and residential property.

Magnificent and Renowned Railroad Stations

30th Street Station

Buffalo Central Terminal

Cincinnati Union Terminal

Pennsylvania Station

Hoboken Terminal

Grand Central Terminal

Kansas City Union Station

Mount Royal Station

Reading Terminal

St. Paul Union Depot

Terminal Station (The Chattanooga Choo Choo)

Los Angeles Union Station (Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, LAUPT)

Union Stations

Central Station

Chicago Union Station

Dearborn Station

Denver Union Station

Grand Central Station

Jersey City Terminal

King Street Station

Union Station (Seattle)

St. Louis Union Station
The Soo's beautiful Ashland, Michigan station was still in use during August of 1976 although it closed soon after.">

Quaint Railroad Depots

Ellicott City Station, Maryland

Point of Rocks Station, Maryland

Surviving Railroad Stations

Alabama Railroad Stations

Alaska Railroad Stations

Arizona Railroad Stations

Arkansas Railroad Stations

California Railroad Stations

Colorado Railroad Stations

Connecticut Railroad Stations

Delaware Railroad Stations

Florida Railroad Stations

Georgia Railroad Stations

Idaho Railroad Stations

Illinois Railroad Stations

Indiana Railroad Stations

Iowa Railroad Stations

Kansas Railroad Stations

Kentucky Railroad Stations

Louisiana Railroad Stations

Maine Railroad Stations

Maryland Railroad Stations

Massachusetts Railroad Stations

Michigan Railroad Stations

Minnesota Railroad Stations

Mississippi Railroad Stations

Missouri Railroad Stations

Montana Railroad Stations

Nebraska Railroad Stations

Nevada Railroad Stations

New Hampshire Railroad Stations

New Jersey Railroad Stations

New Mexico Railroad Stations

New York Railroad Stations

North Carolina Railroad Stations

North Dakota Railroad Stations

Ohio Railroad Stations

Oklahoma Railroad Stations

Oregon Railroad Stations

Pennsylvania Railroad Stations

Rhode Island Railroad Stations

South Carolina Railroad Stations

More South Carolina Depot Information

South Dakota Railroad Stations

Tennesee Railroad Stations

Texas Railroad Stations

Utah Railroad Stations

Vermont Railroad Stations

Virginia Railroad Stations

Washington Railroad Stations

West Virginia Railroad Stations

Wisconsin Railroad Stations

Wyoming Railroad Stations

The information above is a compilation of many railroad stations which still survive across the country, broken down by state. Please note that unless otherwise noted the building mentioned that is still standing refers to a passenger depot (i.e., "originally built by..."). I realize that there may be corrections/additions to any of the above lists. If you may know of any please let me know (either through e-mail or simply make a post below to the Facebook comments) and I will work to get the information up-to-date. Many thanks in advance for any bit of help you may have!



This depot at Ewen, Michigan was originally built by the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic and was still used by the Soo during April of 1976.

While Penn Station is no longer with us its loss was, again, a wakeup call, and besides Grand Central Terminal a number of other large and prominent railroad stations across the country have since been saved and preserved as well (many are also still in used as they were originally intended, as a place to pick up and drop off rail travelers). Finally, please be aware that the links to the individual state railroad station pages are PDF files and provide the latest information that I currently have on standing and/or restored buildings. Much of this information was researched through the Railroad Station Historical Society's database. If you have any questions about surviving stations/depots or know of any to add to the lists please feel free to get in touch.

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