Duluth Depot

The Duluth Depot is a historic train station in Duluth, Minnesota, United States. It was built as a union station in 1892, serving seven different rail lines at its peak. Rail service ceased in 1969 and the building was threatened with demolition until it reopened in 1973 as The Depot St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center.[3] The building houses three exhibiting museums (the Duluth Art Institute, Lake Superior Railroad Museum, and St. Louis County Historical Society Museum), three performing arts organizations (Arrowhead Chorale, Duluth Playhouse, and Minnesota Ballet), and serves as the departure point for the North Shore Scenic Railroad.[4] Train service also resumed from 1974 to 1985 by Amtrak.[3]

Duluth Depot
The Duluth Depot viewed from the north
Established1973
Location506 W. Michigan Street, Duluth, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates46°46′53″N 92°6′14″W
TypeRailway museum
ArchitectPeabody and Stearns
Websiteduluthdepot.org
Duluth, MN
Former Amtrak inter-city rail station
The North Star at the Duluth Depot,
September 1981
Line(s)
  North Star
Platforms3 island platform
1 side platform[1]
Tracks7[1]
History
Opened1892
Closed1985
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Terminus Arrowhead Superior
toward Minneapolis
North Star Superior
toward Chicago or Saint Paul–Midway
Preceding station Great Northern Railway Following station
Superior
toward St. Paul
 St. Paul – Duluth Terminus
Superior
toward Grand Forks
 Grand Forks – Duluth
Preceding station Northern Pacific Railway Following station
Superior
toward Minneapolis
 Minneapolis – Duluth Terminus
West Duluth
toward Minneapolis
 Minneapolis – Duluth
Via West Duluth
Superior
toward Staples
 Staples – Duluth
Terminus Duluth – Ashland Superior
toward Ashland
Duluth Union Depot
Architectural styleChâteauesque
NRHP reference No.71001028[2]
Added to NRHPDecember 9, 1971
Location
Duluth, MN
Location in Minnesota
Duluth, MN
Location in United States

Description

The Depot is located at 506 West Michigan Avenue in the shadow of the elevated I-35, which runs immediately southeast of the depot. The station has one side platform and three island platforms that provide access to its seven tracks. The outer southeast active track is utilized by the North Shore Scenic Railroad, with the remainder being used by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum to display various trains and train cars.[1]

History

The current depot was built on the site of the previous wood framed depot building (constructed in 1870) and was designed by architectural firm Peabody and Stearns. (The original depot building remained on site until it was disassembled after its replacement was complete.) Many local materials were used in the French Norman-style building, including granite, sandstone, and yellow brick. After two years of construction, the depot was completed in 1892 at a cost of $615,000. A large train shed originally covered the building's platforms, but it was removed in 1924 and replaced by the canopies that remain. Over the next 77 years it served seven different railroads (Duluth & Iron Range, Duluth, Missabe, & Iron Range, Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic, Duluth Missabe & Northern, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and the Saint Paul & Duluth) before it closed in 1969.[3]

Although the depot was scheduled for demolition following its closure, it was eventually saved. Although the depot was purchased from the railroad owner for the bargain price of a quarter of a million dollars and the edifice was in excellent condition, the cost of the necessary renovations to restore the Depot to its current condition cost another $4.7 million.[3]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Duluth Union Depot in 1971 for its state-level significance in the themes of architecture and transportation.[5] It was nominated as a unique example of the era's large railroad terminals and the connection they provided to the rest of the nation.[6]

Former Amtrak service

While The Depot continued to house its other tenants, Amtrak provided rail service to the station for nearly a decade (1977–1985). In 1975 Amtrak initiated the Arrowhead to provide service from the Great Northern Depot in Minneapolis to Superior, Wisconsin[7] (which is south of Duluth, just across the Saint Louis Bay of Lake Superior). By 1977 service by the Arrowhead was finally extended the 4 miles (6 km) north to this station[8] (previously thruway connection bus service had been provided between the stations). In 1978 the North Star replaced the Arrowhead and extended the rail service south from Minneapolis–Saint Paul to Chicago, Illinois.[9] The next stop for both Amtrak trains was in Superior, Wisconsin. In 1981 service by the North Star was truncated back to the Midway Station in Saint Paul.[10] However, in 1985 Amtrak ended all passenger rail service to Duluth when the North Star was entirely discontinued.

North Shore Scenic Railroad

Scenic tours from the station continue to be provided by the North Shore Scenic Railroad (a heritage railroad operated by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum), which provides several different excursions from Duluth to points northeast along Lake Superior's northern shore. Regular tours are round-trip, ranging from one to six hours long, with destinations including the Lester River, the area of Palmers, and the city of Two Harbors. The railroad also provides a variety of special excursions throughout the year, as well as opportunities for charter trips.[11]

Proposed rail service

Renovations to the depot are in planning to serve the Northern Lights Express Higher-speed rail service from Minneapolis to Duluth. This 155-mile (249 km) project will roughly follow the route of Amtrak's former North Star and is expected to include stops in Coon Rapids, Isanti, Cambridge, and Hinckley in Minnesota and in Superior, Wisconsin.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Map of the Duluth Union Depot, as of 2014". www.duluthdepot.org. Retrieved 28 May 2014. (inset linked map)
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. "Depot History". The Depot St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center. 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  4. "Organizations". The Depot St. Louis County Heritage & Arts Center. 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  5. "Duluth Union Depot". National Register of Historic Places Program. National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-04-07.
  6. Cavin, Brooks (1971-11-23). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Duluth Union Depot". National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-04-07. Cite journal requires |journal= (help) With three accompanying photos
  7. Amtrak (15 May 1975). "All-American Schedules". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 43. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  8. Amtrak (15 Feb 1977). "National Train Timetables". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 26. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  9. Amtrak (30 Apr 1978). "National Train Timetables". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 37. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  10. Amtrak (25 Oct 1981). "National Train Timetables". The Museum of Railway Timetables. p. 42. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
  11. "North Shore Scenic Railroad". North Shore Scenic Railroad. 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-03.
  12. "Minnesota's Northern Lights high speed rail project receives $5m grant". Global Rail News. 9 Sep 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
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