Creston CBQ Railroad Train Depot in IA

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad-Creston Station, Creston Iowa

Date added: August 17, 2024

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This was the largest, best-constructed depot in Iowa on the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad at the time. It was a division point, and all the business for southwest Iowa was conducted from this depot. Being a division headquarters, this depot also housed the office for the Master Carpenter who was in charge of all section work and bridge work for the entire division. Since a great amount of switching and the forming up of trains was done in the Creston yards the office of the trainmaster was also located in the Creston Depot. In addition, there were two branch lines and one foreign railroad also originating in Creston and controlled either entirely or in part from this depot. Also, shortly after the construction of this depot the Creston roundhouse was at its peak and was reputed to be one of the largest roundhouses on the entire CB&Q system.

Architecturally this building was unique for this area in both size and design. It was truly the most significant structure to be erected in Creston up to that time or since.

Building Description

Presently this landmark of nearly seventy-five years is beginning to show a moderate amount of deterioration due to lack of attention. Many of the windows have been broken, paint has scaled off the exterior wooden areas, a few of the roof tile are missing allowing some moisture to enter the building causing some warpage of wood, and the interior is in need of a thorough cleaning. As yet the ceilings and walls appear to be in good shape with no major repairs being needed. The building is structurally sound as has been attested to by Clark, Anderson, Hamersky, & Associates of Lincoln, Neb., and Wagner and Associates of Des Moines, Ia. The heating unit has become outdated and the wiring and plumbing have been partially removed by the railroad. Since the exterior of the building is composed of stone and brick with tile roofing it has weathered the elements very well and with proper care will be able to do so for many years to come.

Originally the depot was a majestic structure looming over Iowa's prairie. It was built in 1899 at the cost of $75,000.00 to the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy Railroad. The building is a three story structure with concrete footing and rubble foundation. Above ground, a cut stone base rises to the window sills and from there, walls are of St. Louis pressed brick with stone built courses. The walls are capped by a heavy copper cornice as a base for a semi-glazed red tile roof broken by six dormers. The entire building is 173' long by 43' wide and is 53' high from the ground line to the ridge of the roof. The entire building is surrounded by a red brick sidewalk with a small parking area near the northeast corner for customers of the express office housed within the depot in that area.

The first floor is divided into the general waiting room, ticket office, lunch counter, two restrooms, checkroom, and baggage room. The large waiting room is beautiful in every detail. The floors of dark red marble are contrasted by four massive round white ceramic brick pillars rising to a natural oak wood beam and inlay ceiling. The walls are also of white ceramic brick with deep green ceramic brick trip. The solid oak natural finished wooden benches are still in the waiting room. Directly off the waiting room is a restroom on the northeast and a ticket office on the southeast separated by a corridor that runs through the center of the depot to the baggage room on the east end. On the South side of the corridor next to the ticket office is the area occupied by the lunch counter. Across from this is a large storage room. Another restroom completes the 1^st floor.

A broad stairway at the southeast end of the corridor leads to the second floor on which were located the rooms for the local officials and the telegraph apparatus. A long hall passes down the center of the second floor ending at a large counter separating the 30'x40' telegraph office from the hall. From the hall doors to seven of the offices can be seen. These rooms were occupied by the Division Superintendent, Secretary, Dispatcher, Road Master, Physician, Conductor's Room, and Burlington Relief Department.

At the east end of the hall a smaller stairway to the South leads to the third floor which is composed of two large rooms. One room was used as a meeting room for special schooling sessions such as "Book of Rules" school. The second, and largest room was used to store the thousands of documents accumulated over the past seventy-five years. They are still in the depot.