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Featured Historic BuildingThe Louisiana Chicago and Alton Railroad Depot
Reclaim the DepotThe Louisiana Chicago and Alton Railroad Depot, 801 S. Third St., in Louisiana has recently been added to the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources State Historic Preservation Office. "This building was chosen because of the design and historic association with railroad transportation in Louisiana," said Tiffany Patterson, National Register coordinator for the State Historic Preservation office. The listing advisory board reviewed the nomination in May 2005 and it was placed on the Register in June 2006. "There are still people around Louisiana that remember taking the train out of the depot and have a lot of memories of when it was used." Featuring two large waiting rooms, a baggage room and office, the depot is a good-sized building. Most of the old woodwork is intact, although some doors have been replaced. The benches are gone and the wood plank flooring is loose in places, but the foundation and structure is sound. Designed in the Mission architectural style by Matthew Porter McAffee of Hannibal, and constructed in 1907, the depot served Louisiana and the Pike County area into the 1960s. The building is typical in design and layout of depots built across the United States at the turn of the century, but was unique for Louisiana. Its stucco finish and Spanish revival-influenced architectural details stand out among Louisiana's traditional brick commercial architecture, according to the Missouri State Parks and Historical Sites Resource Center. The structure goes back to the days when railroads were the primary transportation modes and depots were community gathering spots. Trains took men to war and brought them home again. They allowed politicians and performers to meet small-town America. Whole towns were built around railroad access, and when the trains left, those towns lost their zest. During its heyday in the 1910s and 1920s, as many as 23 trains stopped daily at the depot. This constant stream of trains made the building a center of activity and trade in the community. Though train traffic dwindled in the 1950s, the depot remained in operation until 1967. With the two waiting rooms, each with its own restrooms, the station once had segregated men's and women's seating sections, a reflection of the times. "This is presenting a lot of recognition for properties, especially in small towns where the history of the town is keeping it going," said Patterson. "It provides a lot of incentives for a town or property to be listed authentically as a historic place. Now that the building is listed it is available for federal tax credits for rehabilitation. It says that the federal government has determined that this is a preservation and that says something." The above information was reprinted with permission from the Hannibal Courier Post. The complete article and more photos can be found at their website.
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