Former Passenger and Freight Train Station in Headland AL

Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Depot, Headland Alabama

Date added: February 17, 2025

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The Seaboard Coast Line Depot is one of the oldest wooden structures in Headland as well as one of the oldest railroad depots in the Southeast Alabama Region. Built in 1893 the depot represents as architectural style characteristic of that used in other railroad stations built in small communities during the same period.

The Headland Depot was one of four built by the Abbeville Southern Railway Company to serve its solitary line which ran 26.9 miles from Abbeville Junction (now Grimes) on the Alabama Midland to Abbeville. Incorporated in 1892 the Abbeville Southern Railway Company was organized locally to provide railroad service to the surrounding area.

The line became part of the Plant System and was operated by agreement with the Alabama Midland Railway Company as a branch of that railroad. In 1901 both the Abbeville Southern and the Alabama Midland Railways were absorbed by the Savannah Florida & Western Railway which was in turn absorbed in 1902 by the Atlantic Coast Line, which became known as the Seaboard Coast Line after a merger in 1961.

The coming of the railroad to Henry County played a large role in the development of the area and in the growth of Headland and other area towns. The importance of a railroad line for economic development was well known at the time and contributed to the organization of the Abbeville Southern Railway Company by local boosters fearful of being bypassed. In 1890, Henry County was wholly rural with only a few small towns. Headland was incorporated in 1892 the year before the track was laid and the depot was built. The Town's population grew to 602 in 1900 and 1,090 in 1910. Meanwhile, other communities in the area without railroad access never grew. The importance of the Abbeville Southern Railroad to the region is illustrated by the fact that today, Headland, Abbeville, and Newville, all of which were on the Abbeville Southern line, are the only communities in Henry County with 500 or more people.

When the Abbeville Southern line was first built it provided both passenger and freight service. Industry in Headland at the time was composed primarily of turpentine stills and sawmills and these were the primary goods shipped out of the depot. Cotton and cotton seed oil boomed in the early part of this century with the mid-1920's being the most prosperous years. More recently peanut products and lumber have made up the bulk of the freight shipments.

The Headland depot was built in the summer and fall of 1893 while the Abbeville Southern tracks were being laid. Wood for the building came from local pine and oak forests and was sawed and planed at one of Headland's several sawmills. While similar in layout and design to other depots the Headland Depot lacks any major architectural characteristics such as gingerbread. The design of the depot is relatively simple with plain trim around the windows and doors which is unusual in that the building was built during the Victorian period. Research of property transfers to the Abbeville Southern during the summer of 1893 indicated that the depot was probably built on land bought from Dr. Wyatt S. Oates. Dr. Oates was one of Headland's founders and leading citizens at the time and was responsible for constructing many of the buildings in downtown Headland.

The first train into Headland arrived in late September of 1893 when the section of tracks between Headland and Abbeville Junction (Grimes) was completed. On Monday, November 27^th, 1893 the first train over the entire Abbeville Southern Line made its way through Headland and into Abbeville where it was met by large crowds and a band welcoming train service to the area. A reception in Abbeville formally opening the railroad line was held on November 30^th and was attended by Mr. Henry B. Plant, President of the Plant Investment Company who backed construction of the railroad. Mr. Plant arrived at the ceremonies in his private palace car and was greeted by a large crowd of people and local officials.

Train service to Headland began soon after the completion of the southern section of the Abbeville Southern line. The first trains up the line had to put a headlight on the rear of the locomotive tender and back down the rails to Abbeville Junction as there was no place for the engine to turn around. When the north section of track was completed a Y-section was built at Abbeville allowing he engine to moved to the opposite end of the train and travel forward back to Abbeville Junction.

Regular passenger service on the Abbeville Southern line through Headland consisted of two trains per day which would run from Abbeville Junction to Headland, Newville, Capps and Abbeville and back to the depot at Abbeville junction from whence passengers could make connections to Dothan or Montgomery (see map below). The regular passenger train was discontinued in 1929. However, the Sunday passenger train continued to stop at the Headland Depot until 1932. After regular passenger service was ended mixed service (on freight trains) was provided for travelers up until the mid-1950's when passenger service along the line was discontinued completely.

Freight service was continued through the station up until late 1979 when the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad petitioned the Alabama Public Service Commission to allow the Railroad to remove their agent from the depot and to move freight operations to the Dothan Office. The Railroad was granted a six month trial period for such action and removed their agent on November 14^th, 1979. On May 14^th, 1980 the Seaboard Coast Line petitioned the PSC to permanently remove their agent and to close the depot.

The Railroad has indicated its willingness to give the depot the City of Headland when they receive approval from the PSC to end service. Headland plans to get a grant to help rehabilitate the building and to use it for a combination senior citizens center/community center. One of the waiting rooms will be used for a railroad museum. Artifacts for the museum will come from Tom Solomon, a local resident who is a retired mechanical draftsman with the Florida East Coast Railway and who had also been a machinist with the Atlantic Coast Line.

Building Description

The Headland Depot is a one-story rectangular, frame structure, located alongside the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad tracks near downtown Headland. Situated on a narrow strip of land the depot is bounded by the railroad tracks to the north and Broad Street approximately 40 feet to the south. There is a large field immediately across the tracks. Main Street intersects with Broad across from the Depot providing a vista into downtown Headland and the square area. Deteriorating warehouses and commercial structures are on the east and west sides. Such structures are typical of others in the area.

Divided into two main sections, the eastern two-thirds of the depot served as a freight storage and loading area while the western end housed an agent's office and two segregated waiting rooms. The freight area is a large unobstructed space defined by the frame superstructure and exterior walls on three sides, open rafters above and a rough, wood floor. The agent's office and waiting room are finished with tongue and groove walls and ceilings and a finished wood floor. Wood trim around the doors and windows is plain. Two counters and several sets of shelves in the agent's office appear to be original features.

The west end of the depot was somewhat remodeled in the late-1920's when restroom facilities were added to each waiting room and doors were cut between the agent's office and waiting rooms. Previous to this time four adjacent outdoor toilets were located across the tracks to serve natures needs. In keeping with the times separate facilities were provided for whites and "coloreds." These structures were painted to match the color of the depot.

In the original depot there was no direct access between the waiting rooms and the agent's office. The main purpose for this was security as there was often large amounts of money stored in the agent's office. When the restrooms were installed, doors were also added to remedy the inconvenience to agents who were required to go outside for access to the waiting rooms (and therefore restrooms).

Built in 1893, the depot is a wood frame structure with board and batten siding on the exterior. Rectangular in shape, it measures approximately 27 feet wide by 112 feet long. There are gables on either end with projecting eaves. A wide overhang extends along each side. Both the eaves and the overhangs are supported by large brackets. The roof is covered by large sheets of asphalt-like composition.

The depot sits approximately two feet off the ground supported by wood poles on concrete bases. Originally, diagonal, wood lattice-like fencing ran along the bottom screening the pole supports. Two brick chimneys are situated on the center ridge of the roof near the west end. A narrow chimney over the agent's office served as a vent for the wood stove which originally heated that office while a large brick chimney with two hearths located between the two waiting rooms provided heat for that section of the building.

A loading platform currently runs the length of the north side of the side along the railroad tracks and partially borders the east end. This platform used to run around the entire building with a large loading area on the east end which was extended out to approximately 100 feet from the depot in the mid-1920's to handle an increasing amount of cotton. However, most of the east section, the south and the western portions of the platform were eventually removed. In the late-1920's a small shed was built on the eastern end of the loading platform. Before the platforms were removed there were wide steps located on both sides of the west end to provide easy access for passengers. A hand rail used to run along the edge of the platform. While connected to the depot the platform is not a physical extension of the depot floor.

There are a total of 16 bays in the four depot sides; six on the north, none on the east, eight on the south, and two on the west. Of the nine entrances into the structure, five are large, square sliding doors of diagonal plain construction which provide access to the freight area. One of these doors has been replaced by a newer one. The other four entrances include two into the agent's office and one into each of the waiting rooms. All of these are single doors with plain trim. Three of the doors appear to be original with three long over three short vertical panels while one is a replacement.

Seven of the bays in the depot are windows, all but two of which are 2 sash, double hung. Several are 6 over 6 while two contain only four large panes. One window in each the north and south sides serving restroom facilities are small, doubles, square in shape and opened on hinges. All the windows have plain wood trim.

Two pieces of equipment which were integral parts of the depot and its operation still remain. A track side semaphore pole extends from the ground up through the platform and roof immediately adjacent to the depot and just outside the agent's office. Trains were signaled by a control mechanism extending from the semaphore into the agent's office. A large scale used for weighing goods shipped through the depot is located in the freight area next to the agent's office. The scale is constructed of cast iron with decorative, fluted columns on either side.