Huntsville Depot
Southern Railway System Depot | |
 The depot in July 2010 | |
    | |
| Location | 330 Church St., Huntsville, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°44′4″N 86°35′27″W / 34.73444°N 86.59083°W |
| Area | 2.8 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1860 |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000101[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1971 |
| Designated ARLH | June 25, 2002[2] |
The Huntsville Depot located on the Norfolk Southern Railway line in downtown Huntsville is the oldest surviving railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest in the United States. Completed in 1860, the depot served as eastern division headquarters for the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.[3] It is listed on both the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage and National Register of Historic Places.[1][2]
Huntsville was occupied by Union forces in 1862 during the Civil War as a strategic point on the railroad and the depot was used as a prison for Confederate soldiers. Graffiti left by the soldiers can still be seen on the walls. The Huntsville Depot saw its last regularly scheduled passenger train, Southern Railway's The Tennessean, on March 30, 1968. The Depot served for at time as a museum, part of the Early Works Museum. In October 2024, museum officials said they were no longer involved with operations and the property had been returned to the control of the City of Huntsville, which was considering options for the building.[4]
A 0-4-0 Porter steam locomotive that was built in Pittsburgh in 1904 resides outside of the museum.
See also
- Alabama Constitution Village
- North Alabama Railroad Museum
- List of museums in Alabama
- List of transport museums
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System – (#71000101)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage". Alabama Historical Commission. Archived from the original on July 18, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Kazek, Kelly (May 22, 2013). "Alabama's 3 known existing Civil War-era depots: What are they now?". The Huntsville Times. Huntsville, AL: Advance Publications. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ Keel, Carson (31 October 2024). "City takes operational control of Huntsville's historic rail depot". Rocket City Now (Fox 54). Retrieved 1 November 2024.
| Preceding station | Southern Railway | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison toward Memphis |
Memphis – Bristol | Chase toward Bristol | ||
| Preceding station | Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway | Following station | ||
| Chase toward Elora |
Elora-Gadsden | Hobbs Island toward Gadsden | ||
External links
- Official website
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. AL-190, "Memphis and Charleston Freight Depot, 330 Church Street Northwest, Huntsville, Madison County, AL", 8 photos, 4 data pages, 1 photo caption page of adjacent freight depot
