Santa Fe Railway Passenger and Freight Depot, Fullerton California
- Categories:
- California
- Railroad Facility
- Passenger Station
In 1930 Santa Fe began running their new Electro-Motive Corporation gas-electric motor cars. They were efficient and mechanically reliable. They handled passengers as well as the U. S. Mail and express parcels. Patronage on the trains increased through the late 1930's and into the 1940's. During those years the train was the most popular and reliable way to travel from other parts of the country to Southern California. Automobiles were not reliable, got only about fifteen miles per gallon, and had to traverse dangerous sections of roadways. The Santa Fe Depot was often the traveler's first view of Fullerton and its surrounding areas. The station, with its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture and surrounding semi-tropical landscaping, must have provided quite a sight for the passenger arriving in California for the first time.
According to the Fullerton Daily News Tribune of July 1st, 1930, "Modern in keeping with the aspect of the city which it serves, the new depot marks another milestone in the progress of the fastest growing city in Orange County. Its construction marks the recognition of the size to which Fullerton has attained, according to the announcement of building plans prior to construction. Celebration of the completion of the new building will share its honors with the memories of the passing structure, giving way to the course of progress and the development of a city, a barometer of civic advancement and prosperity."
Thousands attended the dedication of the new depot on Tuesday, July 2nd, 1930. A description of the evening, as reported in the Fullerton Daily News Tribune, starts off with "Fullerton citizens paid tribute last night to the railroad which played such an important part in its early and later development. The opening of the new depot is a monument to progress.". A large delegation of Santa Fe officials were present. C. C. Chapman, one of North Orange County's most prominent citizens, was the featured speaker. The public was impressed with the new station, which was built at the cost of $50,000.
Citrus was the dominant industry in North Orange County from approximately 1900 to 1945. The 1930s was one of two major growth periods for the citrus industry in the county (the other was the 1910s). From a total of 61,516 acres in 1930 to a total of 75,405 acres in 1940 demonstrates a significant period of growth. During that ten-year period, the number of trees grew from 3,321,000 to 5,435,000 and the production of finished boxes from 12,680,000 to 13,157,000. By the 1930's, Fullerton had five packing houses, two more than any other Orange County city. The citrus industry sustained North Orange County went through the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the area did not suffer as much as the rest of the country.
Although the citrus industry began in the county in the 1870's, it was not until C. C. Chapman of Fullerton pioneered a method of refrigerating railroad cars to keep the fruit from spoiling that a mass market was created. This occurred during the late 1890's, and by the turn of the century citrus was being shipped throughout the United States via the railroads. Bill Meyers reports in Rails Through the Orange Groves, that the Santa Fe Railroad Company handled the lion's share of the crop. During the 1920's and 30's improved technology resulted in faster transcontinental train schedules and special cars were invented that were capable of carrying the perishable fruit promptly and inexpensively. Inbound freight connected to the citrus industry was a big business also. Crating materials, barrels of smudge pot oil, and ice were among the items shipped from other places. The citrus industry which was the backbone of Orange County's economy could net have grown into the dominant industry it was to become without the involvement of the Santa Fe Railroad Company.
Orange County's oil band stretched from Huntington Beach on the west, across the northern third of the county, and included Fullerton, La Habra, Yorba Linda, Brea, Placentia, and Olinda. With the increasing popularity of the automobile and the slant drilling process, which was invented in 1930, oil played an important role in Fullerton's economy during the" period-after that date. Fullerton established a bulk oil plant on a railroad spur in the late 1920's. As new oil discoveries were made in La Habra and North Fullerton, spurs were added along existing rail lines to accommodate the growing production.
The second floor of the Santa Fe Depot was built to accommodate the new Centralized Traffic Control system. The Control boards for this system were located in this section of the station until they were moved to San Bernadino several years later.
Building Description
Constructed in 1930 of reinforced concrete, the impressive Santa Fe Railway and Freight Depot stretches along the north side of the Santa Fe Railroad tracks. The Spanish Colonial Revival building is asymmetrical in shape and features a varied roof line, with most sections covered in red clay tiles. The center section is two-storied and capped with a two-level side-facing gabled roof and a front-facing gabled main entrance. Significant Spanish Colonial Revival architectural elements include massive concrete brackets on each side of the main entrance, an elaborate shaped surround for the main front door, multi-paned metal-framed casement windows which alternate with square pilasters, wrought iron decorative grills on many of the windows, several cast concrete grills, an exterior stairway underscored with a parabolic arch, another parabolic arch at each entrance to the baggage passthrough, oversized keyhole transoms, a row of decorative iron brackets above the waiting room's exterior facade, a cantilevered overhang underscored with heavy cast concrete brackets, and a U-shaped arcaded outside waiting area. The south side of the two-storied section features Moderne design elements in the window trim, door surround, bulkheads, and door accents. The owner plans to restore the covered waiting area to its original appearance by removing the small addition on the north end.
The two-storied center section, topped with a two-level side-facing gabled roof, is flanked by the single-storied U-shaped waiting area on the west end and the single-storied flat-roofed freight terminal on the east. The main roof is clad in red clay tiles. Single-storied shed-style tile-clad wings flank the prominent front-facing gabled entrance on the north side. The roof of the outside waiting area on the west end is clad in red clay tiles, and extends downward, shed-style, toward the central courtyard. The roof of the freight terminal that occupies the east end is flat, with an unbroken parapet. Two small shed-style wings, topped with red clay tiles, extend from the south facade to the east of the main two-storied section.
The imposing south facade of the two-story building is the one seen by the public as they exit the train. Its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture definitely makes a "California" statement. The two-storied center section contains the inside waiting room, ticket counter, and rest rooms on the west end, and private offices on the eastern end. The south, or, trackside, facade features entry doors in the center bay of a three-bayed wall.
The three feature identical keyhole-style arched transom windows, accented with wooden grates on the exterior. Identical three-sectioned stationary plate glass windows, flank the entrance doors. The original double doors, accented with large plate glass windows, carved panels below the windows, and decorative metal push bars, are trimmed with elaborate terra cotta surrounds. Cast concrete decoration, Moderne in influence, separates the transoms from the windows and form borders below the windows. The capitals between the windows are accented with stylized emblems that resemble waves. Dark red ceramic tiles were added to the base of the walls several years ago, and will be removed. A row of S-shaped brackets, formed of wrought iron, runs along the top of the building. The word "Fullerton" is picked out in wrought iron letters, set a few inches away from the wall, creating an interesting shadow effect.
The eastern half of the two-story center section is dominated by a cantilevered second story with heavy cast concrete brackets along the bottom. Four identical sets of deeply-recessed four-light casement windows, separated by large square pilasters, form the fenestration along the second floor. Four matching 4-over-4 double-hung windows, accented with lug sills, occupy the first floor facade, making a pattern with the windows above and the cast concrete brackets. A round vent, also with a wrought iron grill, and a wooden door, recessed in an arched doorway, are located directly to the east of the main section. A few feet further east is a two-tiered shed-style wing, covered with a red-clay-tile-clad roof. A large plate glass window, accented with a wrought iron grill, is centered in the south face of the wing. Another small wing leads off to the east of the larger wing and contains a recessed door and 2-over-2 double-hung windows. The original rustic shutters still exist on each side of the window. The freight door, located to the east of the wing is surrounded by a cast concrete flattened arch. The original freight doors, accented with trefoil-shaped windows, are constructed of diagonally-placed beaded boards. A cast concrete cut out grill rests to the east of the doors. A passageway, which runs from the north side to the south side of the station was used as a baggage loading and unloading area. Both entrances feature parabolic arches. Two small grilled windows and a cast concrete vent accent the remainder of the south facade. A covered loading dock extends beyond the curved wingwall and marks the end of the station. The platform is original, but the posts and roof were added at a later time.
Surprisingly, all of the windows and doors are original and there are no added aluminum windows. The doors, with the exception of the main doors to the waiting room on the south facade, are made of 9-inch-wide boards, accented with beaded edges. Peeling paint in several places on the reinforced concrete facade reveals that the original colors were a soft, light-toned terra cotta for the body and a dark blue-green for the wood trim. As part of the rehabilitation plan, the color scheme will be the same as the original.
The north facade, which faces the street, is dominated by a two-story-high front-facing gabled entry, accented with heavy cast concrete brackets and plain pilasters. The recessed face of the front gable is clad in the same type of beaded wood as the doors.
The deeply-recessed wide single door below is accented by an elaborate shaped archway. To the west of the entry is a single-storied gable-roofed wing with double-hung windows, fronted with wrought iron grills. To the east of the entrance is another shed-style wing occupied by a double-hung window and grate and a single casement window. Both wings are topped with red-clay-tile roofs. A graceful shaped wingwall extends to the east, a few feet in front of a side-facing shed-style wing. A single double-hung window, with shutters, is centered in the north facade of the wing. The stairway to the second floor becomes an interesting shape through the use of a parabolic arch along the bottom and step-shaped cast concrete railings along the top. A pair of round recessed vents, fronted with ornamental wrought iron grills, decorate the wall above the stairs. The stairway ends in a small covered landing with a window-shaped opening in the front facade that matches the shape of the two sets of recessed casement windows located immediately to the west of the landing. All are separated by large square pilasters, banded at the top and bottom. A door in the north wall leads to the interior. A freight door with trefoil-shaped windows is centered in the flat-roofed section to the east of the stairway. The same parabolic arch used in the north facade of the passageway is used in the south side. Two small windows, accented by wrought iron grills, a freight door made of diagonally-placed boards, and a cast concrete grill accent the east end of the north facade. An open loading dock extends approximately ten feet in front of the north facade and wraps around the east end, where it meets a covered loading platform. The portion in front of the north facade features a wood plank floor, while the rest of the loading dock has a concrete floor.
An ell-shaped concrete-floored loading dock, with the short leg on the north side, extends across the entire east side. The north half is open and the south half is sheltered with a roof supported by square wooden posts. It is separated from the building by a few inches. A stucco-clad parapet, approximately three feet in width, conceals the double-gabled roof, which runs east and west. The platform and roof were modified in 1964-65. An original freight door that matches the others in the building is centered in the east facade.
The U-shaped single-storied exterior passenger area, which occupies the entire west end, is sheltered by a roof clad in red clay tiles. The roof slants toward the open patio in the center. It is supported by massive cast concrete columns with 28 equal sides. The open area in the center is planted with trees and bushes. A small room on the north side was added a few years ago and still contains the original columns on the inside. This room will be removed as part of the rehabilitation process, restoring the passenger area to its original appearance. The west end of the two-storied gable-roofed section can be seen above the passenger area. The gable is centered with a large Santa Fe sign which was added a few years ago.
The vestibule and waiting room are the spaces in the station which are seen by the public. The vestibule, reached through the gabled portion of the front facade, features a door made of vertical boards with beaded edges and a small window at eye level. Between the vestibule and the waiting room is a heavy wooden beam, textured with a rough finish typical of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture. The elaborate system of beams, including the massive bracketed beams, medium-sized crossbeams, and smaller beams next to the ceiling create a complicated grid-like pattern. They evoke a definite Spanish Colonial feeling to the room. The large plate glass windows and three large key-hole style transom windows let lots of light into the interior. The floor is clad in the original red-brown terra cotta tiles. A Moderne-style wooden bench, with seating on both sides, extends from the north wall. Amtrak has added a ticket counter and an enclosure along the east wall.
The remainder of the building is occupied by office space and freight uses. The spaces retain most of their integrity. The office spaces on the second floor do not appear to have been used for quite some time. The single-storied freight storage section to the east of the two-storied section is still in use for that purpose.
Track side view of south facade. Outside waiting room is on left; main entrance to waiting room in center; office section to right of waiting room (1989)
Track side view of south facade. Outside waiting room is on left; main entrance is in center; office space on right of waiting room (1989)
Track side view of south facade, taken from southeast. Office section on right and to the east of the main waiting room. Main waiting room entrance is in center of three keyhole-style transom openings (1989)
Closeup of Waiting Room entrance on south (track side) facade (1989)
Waiting room doors on the south facade (1989)
View of outside waiting room, looking west to end of station. The 28-sided columns are original. Interior courtyard at right (1989)
West end of station. Section at right is original (1989)
North facade of station faces parking lot and street (1989)
Center section of north facade (1989)
Closeup of center section of north (street side) facade. Stairs lead to offices above. Main waiting room entrance is in gabled portico to the right of the single-storied wing in the center (1989)
Street side facade (north facade) from west, looking to east. Wooden platform on left is original (1989)
