Joplin Union Depot – Joplin, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 37° 05.494 W 094° 30.737
15S E 365600 N 4106100
Historic former railroad depot in Joplin, Missouri.
Waymark Code: WMNRW6
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 04/27/2015
Views: 2
The Joplin Union Depot in Joplin, Missouri, was designed by Louis Curtiss in 1910 and completed in 1911. The depot is one of the Kansas City Architect's better known buildings constructed of reinforced concrete. This particular building, along with other concrete structures both in Kansas City and on America's western railroads, helped establish Curtiss' reputation as an innovative architect of the early modern period. Although Louis Curtiss is recognized principally for his designs in Kansas City, the Joplin Union Depot is also a primary example of "modern" or contemporary railroad architecture. The station bears little resemblance to other depots of the early twentieth century, most of which were patterned along more traditional classic styles.
– National Register Nomination
The Joplin Union Depot is a railroad station in Joplin, Missouri. The station was served by a number of railroads, two of which were the Kansas City Southern Railway and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The station was completed in July 1911. On November 4, 1969, the last train, the Southern Belle visited the station, ending 58 years of constant service. After train service ended, the station slowly deteriorated.
Designed by the Canadian-born architect Louis Curtiss, the station was featured in the January 1912 edition of Popular Mechanics for its use of mining waste in the concrete.
On March 14, 1973, the station was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently unoccupied. There are currently plans to restore the depot. There have been many ideas for its use, but none have been made certain. This would tie in with the revitalization of downtown.
– Wikipedia
Since it's closing the Union Depot has deteriorated over time. It was threatened with demolition but was saved. A number of different plans have been proposed over the years to convert the depot for other uses but each has fallen through. There is a new effort underway with financial backing from the city to convert the old depot to uses.