Southern Pacific Railroad Passenger Station - San Antonio, Texas - Train Stations/Depots on Waymarking.com

The southern Pacific Passenger Station in San Antonio is an excellent example of the Mission Style. Located at the corner of Hoefgen and E. Commerce Streets on the southeast edge of downtown San Antonio, the building was built in 1902 of brick and adobe construction. Wall treatment is of white plaster, pierced at regular intervals by red brick segmental semicircular arches on the ground level. Twin towers of broad proportions frame the entrance to the station. Windows on the second level of each tower are embellished with ornate baroque relief sculpture, much in the style of the famous rose window at San Jose Mission. Wide eaves with ornate brackets and corbel table support the red tile pyramidal roofs on the towers.

The entrance is defined by an arcade of three segmental arches covered by a shed roof. The wall projecting behind this arcade and between the towers is capped with a mission styled parapet, much in the style of the Alamo. The focal point of this wall is a circular opening which originally displayed a stained glass window. Unfortunately, the window has been replaced with a stucco panel on which the Amtrak emblem is presently displayed. Framing the opening in semicircular fashion is the name "Southern Pacific". The pinnacle of this configuration is an ornate cartouche which resembles an armored shield.

The passenger station is symmetrical in form and is surrounded by the same segmentally arched arcade as in the front. The rear wall repeats the pattern of the front facade with the exception that the stained glass window has remained intact. Side walls are pierced only by the symmetrical spacing of office windows, offering a stark contrast to the elaborate baroque ornamentation found on the front and rear facades. The roof over the central portion of the building is of red terra cotta tile with a skylight running the full length of its crest.

The interior space is the most significant conceptual feature of the building. The waiting room is enclosed in a barrel vault with a ceiling height of 40 feet. Offices on the second level open onto a balcony that encircles the vaulted space. This level is reached by a graceful stairway that divides itself at right angles to the landing beneath the rose window. An elaborately detailed coffered ceiling further defines the vaulted space, the pinnacle of which is the glass skylight. Cornice detailing includes plaster rosettes, cartouches, and acanthus leaf motifs.

The passenger platform area is located on the east end of the building. Columns supporting the wood framed roof are of iron with delicate iron bracketing. The platform was designed to handle 16-car passenger trains and is therefore approximately 1200 feet in length.

 ~ Texas Historical Commission Atlas

The station is used as an Amtrak station serving Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle routes.

Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: Yes Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: Southern Pacifc - Amtrak Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link] If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   07/05/2010 WayBetterFinder visited it 03/17/2009 Harelips visited it 05/08/2004 WalksfarTX visited it

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