Racine Depot

Racine
Racine Depot
General information
Location1402 Liberty Street, Racine, Wisconsin 53404
Line(s)Kenosha Subdivision
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
History
ClosedApril 30, 1971
Services
Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station
Milwaukee
toward Minneapolis
 Chicago – Minneapolis via Milwaukee Kenosha
toward Chicago
South Milwaukee
Until 1966
toward Milwaukee
 Milwaukee Division
Milwaukee Union
After 1966
Terminus
Racine Depot
Racine Depot is located in Wisconsin
Racine Depot
Racine Depot is located in the United States
Racine Depot
Coordinates42°43′50″N 87°47′52″W / 42.73056°N 87.79778°W / 42.73056; -87.79778
Area1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1902 (1902)
ArchitectFrost & Granger
Architectural styleGeorgian Revival
NRHP reference No.80000180[1]
Added to NRHPOctober 10, 1980

The Racine Depot is a historic railroad station located at 1402 Liberty Street in Racine, Wisconsin. The station was built in 1901 for the Chicago & North Western Railway. Architects Frost & Granger designed the Georgian Revival station.[2] The depot, located on the southbound platform, included a waiting room, restrooms, a baggage room, and a ticket office. The waiting room's decorations included oak benches, wood paneling, and a terrazzo floor. A tunnel connected the depot to the westbound platform.[3]

The station served up to twenty-six trains each day at its peak, providing a means for Racine County's citizens to travel to and from other cities. The Twin Cities 400, an express train from Chicago to Minneapolis, began service to the station in 1935; at the time, it was the fastest train in North America. The depot also brought presidential campaign trains to Racine, and Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry Truman all travelled through the station. In 1971, the station closed when Amtrak replaced private passenger rail service in the United States; Racine County is now served by Amtrak's Sturtevant station.[3] There are plans to restore service to Racine station as part of a commuter line between Milwaukee and Kenosha.

The depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Robert D. Long (January 4, 1980). "NRHP Inventory/Nomination: Racine Depot". National Park Service. Retrieved July 22, 2018. With six photos.
  3. ^ a b "Architecture and History Inventory: Racine Depot". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved October 4, 2014.

Media related to Racine Depot at Wikimedia Commons