Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Historic Salem #17: Salem Railroad Depot & Freight Depot

500 13th Street SE

IMG_4244 Railroad Depot in Salem, Oregon circa 1872
Salem Railroad Depot, circa 1872

The Oregon & California Rail Road was the first railroad built south from Portland toward California. It reached Salem on September 27, 1870, and opened a depot here later that year. Salem's residents of the time complained that the depot was too far from town.

IMG_4245 Salem Street Railway Horsecars #2 & #3 in front of the new Railroad Depot in Salem, Oregon in 1889
Salem Street Railway Horsecars #2 and #3 in front of the new Salem Railroad Depot in 1889

Salem's first railroad depot was destroyed in a fire in 1885. Soon after, a new depot was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad, which took over the Oregon & California in 1887.

IMG_4246 Crowd at Railroad Depot in Salem, Oregon in August 1899
A large crowd at the Salem depot in August 1899 to welcome home Oregon’s 2nd Volunteers from the Spanish-American War.

When it first opened, the depot consisted of a two-story passenger-section only, but a single-story freight section was soon added on the south end.

IMG_4831 Salem Station on the Oregon State Capitol Holidays Layout on December 22, 2006
Model of the Salem Railroad Depot, circa 1900, on the Oregon State Capitol Holidays Layout on December 22, 2006

In 1917, the passenger section of Salem's depot was destroyed by another fire. The fire was put out before it caused significant damage to the freight section, which was saved and repaired as a stand-alone freight depot. This 1800's freight depot still stands today as the oldest freight depot in the state of Oregon, and it retains many of its original architectural details.

IMG_3297 Southern Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Freight Depot on September 4, 2006

It has recently received a new roof (donated by Withers Lumber, Larry Epping Building Co., Fidelity National Title, Associated Properties Real Estate Sales & Service, Portland General Electric, JDC Homes, LLC, Washington Federal Savings, Freres Lumber Company, Inc. and the Marion-Polk Building Industry Association) and is wrapped in Typar plastic until funds for a complete restoration can be raised.

IMG_3295 Southern Pacific Railroad Freight Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Freight Depot on September 4, 2006

Historical Photos:
Old Depot (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot, 1889-1890 (Salem Public Library)
Train at Old Depot, 1889-1900 (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot, 1899 (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot, 1890-1910 (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot (Oregon State Library)
Old Depot, 1908 (Salem Public Library)
Train at Old Depot, circa 1911 (Oregon State Library)
Old Depot, 1913 (Salem Public Library)
Old Depot, 1915 (Salem Public Library)
Train at Salem Depot with Oregon National Guard soldiers for Mexico, 1916 (Oregon State Library)

IMG_3293 Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station on September 4, 2006

In 1918, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a new passenger depot in Salem. The depot was designed by J. H. Christie, an architect for the Southern Pacific Railroad, and was built by Stebinger Brothers of Portland at a cost of $25,000.

IMG_3292 Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station on September 4, 2006

The depot features Beaux Arts Classical architecture with Ionic columns and large Roman arched windows and a 1500 square foot passenger waiting room with a 24-foot ceiling, two 30-inch globe light fixtures, marble wainscoting and and Terrazzo marble floors.

IMG_3291 Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station on September 4, 2006

By the 1950s, the depot had been "modernized," with a low suspended ceiling in the waiting room, and the large arched windows blanked over. As passenger rail service declined from the 1960s onward, maintenance was kept to a minimum and the building deteriorated.

IMG_3290 Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station on September 4, 2006

The Oregon Department of Transportation took possession of the depot property in the 1990s. In 1998, a three-phase restoration project began that took nearly two years, restoring the interior's  arched windows, high ceilings and marble floors, recreating the original light fixtures, and building a new brass and black marble ticket counter.

IMG_3299 Interior of Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station Interior on September 4, 2006

A new roof, HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, paving and landscaping were also part of the project. The restored depot was rededicated on May 19, 2000. Amtrak leases the depot from the Oregon Department of Transportation for $1 a year, and is also responsible for cleaning and maintenance. The depot is served daily by Amtrak's Coast Starlight and Cascades service.

IMG_3300 Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station on September 4, 2006

The dedication plaque from the restoration reads as follows:

SALEM
RAILROAD STATION
BUILDING RESTORATION & SITE IMPROVEMENT
Dedicated May, 19, 2000
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION                                    AMTRAK WEST
Grace L. Crunican                                                                                                            Gil Mallery
Director                                                                                                                               President

Byron Inman                                                                                                                  Dan Radeke
Jimmy Hansen                                                                                                 Morteza Ghandehari
Project Managers                                                                                                Project Managers
FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION
Hank Honeywell
Division Administrator
CONSULTANTS
Fletcher Farr Ayotte PC – Building Restoration
J. L. Patterson & Associates – Site Improvement
AGRA Earth & Environmental – Hazardous Material Abatement
CONTRACTORS
DCS General Construction, Inc. – Building Restoration
Marion Construction, Inc. – Site Improvement
IRS Environmental of Oregon, Inc. – Hazardous Material Abatement
Originally constructed in 1918 by the Southern Pacific Railroad

IMG_3298 Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Depot Plaque in Salem, Oregon on September 4, 2006
Salem Railroad Station Dedication Plaque on September 4, 2006

Additional Links:
Salem's Railroad Depots at Salem Online History
Salem's Passenger Rail Station at Salem Online History
Salem Railroad Station at Salem Historical Quarterly

Historical Photos:
Depot and Freight Depot in 1929 (Salem Public Library)
Depot, 1940s-1950s (Salem Public Library)
President Eisenhower & Governor McKay on train at depot, October 7, 1952 (Salem Public Library)
Depot in 1960 (Salem Public Library)
Depot, Unknown Date (Salem Public Library)
Depot, 1977 (Salem Public Library)

Continue to

18: Elks Lodge

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