Former Passenger Train Station in Pueblo CO

Union Depot, Pueblo Colorado

Date added: October 06, 2024

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Pueblo Union Depot was built in 1889-1890 and the contract for operation was signed on August 1^st, 1889 by representatives of five railroads: Denver & Rio Grande; Denver, Texas & Fort Worth; Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe; and the Missouri Pacific. Prior to that time, each of the five railroads managed their respective stations.

Articles of incorporation were filed on December 23^rd, 1887, at the offices of James Rice, Secretary of State. The incorporators were: David H. Moffat, Walter S. Chesman, Andrew S. Hughes, P. J. Flynn, and C. F. Meek. The board of directors consisted of M. D. Thatcher, C. W. Smith, S. H. H. Clark, C. F. Meek, and David Moffat. Mr. Moffat served at President of the Board.

An imposing structure, the depot was one of the largest in the region. A tower 150 feet high contained a clock constructed by the Seth Thomas works in Thomaston, Connecticut in 1880, ten years before being installed at the depot. The tower was lowered following the devastating 1921 flood.

By 1917, the depot had become a social center as well as one of the busiest stations on the Colorado rail lines. A restaurant reputed to be one of the best in the state was operated in the depot utilizing 454 waitresses. It had its own bakery and a full-time baker to handle the tremendous number of visitors. At that time, the depot serviced approximately 160,000 passengers a year.

Building Description

The original and present Union Depot is a Romanesque Revival building style which was popular before the turn of the century for places of public significance. This style of design was popularized by the American architect Henry H. Richardson and was used extensively in the eastern and midwestern states. Hence, it was a natural solution for the Chicago architectural firm of Sprague and Newell to employ. The building, with its irregular, rambling, and picturesque plan and elevation, is very similar to the Romanesque plans that Richardson produced, especially as evidenced in his famous Marshall Field Wholesale House in Chicago.

The depot is in relatively good structural condition as maintenance has been adequate. Two major alterations to the exterior were made following the 1921 flood. The original 150-foot clock tower was lowered to its present height and the original slate roof was replaced. Since the 1921 revisions only interior modifications have been made to the structure. Originally, the first floor contained a restaurant, bakery, waiting room, and a baggage room. Today, all that remains are the waiting rooms and the baggage room. Office space and a maintenance shop have replaced the other functions.

The main building is a rectangle fronting B Street with rectangular wings on both sides. This arrangement has produced an irregular plan and a picturesque massing of building forms. The front facade of the main building is a system of six bays defined by arcades. A clock tower, which is extended from the plan, forms the third bay from the left or west end. The tower was offset in the design scheme so that it would be in line with the center of Victoria Street. Keeping with this vista, the main entrance is a port of the clock tower and is framed in an arch with heavy articulation of the stonework.

The clock tower, the entryway, and the stonework are all reminiscent of the grand archways which signified the entrance to ancient cities.

The main building group is a four-story structure with a waiting room, baggage room, and shops at the first level. At the second level is office space and the third and fourth are sleeping rooms. Union Depot is an excellent early example of the blending of many functions and requirements into a single building.

At the exterior, the building is constructed of large, rock-faced, cut red stone. This Manitou red stone is layed in regular, continuous courses. All of the semi-circular arches are radiating voussoirs and the entryway has a keystone. Small, gabled dormers extend from the truncated hip roof. At the eaves, there is a slight projection of the cornice with a large decorated frieze below. All of the exterior windows are two-sash with a transom overhead. On the main building, two side lights are integrated into the window frame. The main entrance is a double door with a four-paned stained glass overhead and set into a porch.

Finally, there is a chimney to the left of the main building at the front wall, and a date stone is set over the main entryway arch.