Pueblo Union Depot - Pueblo, Colorado
N 38° 15.794 W 104° 37.018
13S E 533508 N 4235091
A beautiful building in a surprisingly quaint historic district; on the National Register of Historic Places. The following information was copied from the historical marker outside of the building.
Waymark Code: WM3CNY
Location: Colorado, United States
Date Posted: 03/15/2008
Views: 144
Pueblo Union Depot was constructed in 1889 in the architectural style of Richardsonian Romanesque by the architect Frank V. Newell. Railroads were the links that determined a town’s economic development. Pueblo’s first railroad, the Denver & Rio Grande, ran north to Denver. Next, the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad linked Pueblo to the East. Soon there were five railroads serving Pueblo. Originally, each railroad had its own depot and this was somewhat inconvenient for the traveler. The Pueblo Union Depot was part of a national trend in which one central depot served all of the railroads. The Depot was built by Puebloans Henry Thatcher and Mahlon Thatcher and the following five railroads: The Denver & Rio Grande; Denver, Texas and Fort Worth (later the Colorado and Southern); Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific; Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe; and the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Built of Manitou red sandstone, the Depot cost approximately $400,000 and the contractor was James A. McGonigle.
The 1889 Sanborn Insurance Map indicated that the Depot’s main building housed an emigrant’s waiting room, a baggage room, toilet room, ladies waiting room, gentlemen’s waiting room, central hall, lunch and dining hall, kitchen with pantry, laundry, barber shop, gentlemen’s toilet and storage rooms on the side. The separate building to the north is the Express Office.
In 1892, the Depot handled 51 trains, 18,615 passengers and 164,718 pieces of baggage per day. During this year, there were 103,114 tickets sold, worth $568,639.
By 1917, the Pueblo Depot was one of the busiest railroad stations in Colorado. In addition to a bakery, a restaurant employed 33 waitresses. The Depot served approximately 160,000 passengers a year. Passenger service ended in April of 1971.
The disastrous Flood of June 3, 1921, caused structural damage to the clock tower, resulting in a reduction in the height of the tower after repairs. The high water mark at the Depot during the Flood was 10 feet and 6 inches.
During World War II, many troop trains stopped at the Depot. The government paid $1 for each soldier’s meal, which included a T-bone steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and ice cream. If steaks, which cost 50 cents a pound, were not available, the soldiers were served pork chops.
In 1990, Kathi and Tim Miller and Associates purchased this property and began renovations. The Depot became the place to have parties, weddings, Octoberfests, etc. The second floor became offices and the third floor contains lofts.
In 2001, Joseph and James Koncilja purchased the property.
This project funded by a grant from the Colorado Historical Society State Historical Fund, Historic Pueblo Business Center Association, Security Title Guaranty Co., Kathie White, Mary Orf, John Demas, Friends and the Farley Foundation.
Is the station/depot currently used for railroad purposes?: No
Is the station/depot open to the public?: Yes
If the station/depot is not being used for railroad purposes, what is it currently used for?:
Event venue, apartments and offices.
What rail lines does/did the station/depot serve?: The Denver & Rio Grande; Denver, Texas and Fort Worth (later the Colorado and Southern); Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific; Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe; and the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
Station/Depot Web Site: [Web Link]
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