Union Station - Paris, Texas (1 of 2)
I was wandering round aimlessly on my way home from Dallas. No expectations, just taking some new roads. Had never been through Paris before, so when I came upon this station, I gasped and about wrecked the car. It is a jewel, is it not?
Here's some info from the historical marker:
In 1910, construction on the present Union Station began, and it opened for business in 1912 serving Frisco, Santa Fe and Texas Midland passenger trains. Segregated waiting rooms served patrons, and the Railway Express Agency occupied the south wing.
The architect is unknown, but the Prairie and Italianate style design is similar to others on the Frisco rail line. The building's dark colored brick is complimented by lighter stone sills and lintels. The tiled hip roof features dormers and deep, overhanging eaves with brackets. The 77-foot tower resembles an Italian campanile, or watchtower.
Rail passenger numbers in Paris peaked during World War II due to nearby Camp Maxey, but as automobile usage increased, passenger rail travel declined. The Santa Fe ended service in 1954 and the final Frisco passenger train left Union Station in 1956, but the depot continued to serve freight operations until the late 20th century. In 1997, the Kiamichi Railroad acquired Frisco and Santa Fe interests and donated the depot for restoration to the city of Paris.
The depot now houses a transportation museum, the Paris Economic Development Corporation and the research library of the Lamar County Genealogical Society. This beautiful structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1998 as the Santa-Fe - Frisco Depot, #88001939.
Union Station - Paris, Texas (1 of 2)
I was wandering round aimlessly on my way home from Dallas. No expectations, just taking some new roads. Had never been through Paris before, so when I came upon this station, I gasped and about wrecked the car. It is a jewel, is it not?
Here's some info from the historical marker:
In 1910, construction on the present Union Station began, and it opened for business in 1912 serving Frisco, Santa Fe and Texas Midland passenger trains. Segregated waiting rooms served patrons, and the Railway Express Agency occupied the south wing.
The architect is unknown, but the Prairie and Italianate style design is similar to others on the Frisco rail line. The building's dark colored brick is complimented by lighter stone sills and lintels. The tiled hip roof features dormers and deep, overhanging eaves with brackets. The 77-foot tower resembles an Italian campanile, or watchtower.
Rail passenger numbers in Paris peaked during World War II due to nearby Camp Maxey, but as automobile usage increased, passenger rail travel declined. The Santa Fe ended service in 1954 and the final Frisco passenger train left Union Station in 1956, but the depot continued to serve freight operations until the late 20th century. In 1997, the Kiamichi Railroad acquired Frisco and Santa Fe interests and donated the depot for restoration to the city of Paris.
The depot now houses a transportation museum, the Paris Economic Development Corporation and the research library of the Lamar County Genealogical Society. This beautiful structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 1998 as the Santa-Fe - Frisco Depot, #88001939.