500 13th Street SE
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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)
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