Southern Railway Terminal Station - Bessemer, AL - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

The Alabama Great Southern Railroad Company completed construction of the Bessemer passenger terminal in March, 1916. According to records, railroad personnel constructed the depot thereby saving the costs of architects. Total cost of the building was $30,000. The structure located at 1905 Alabama Avenue is 170 feet long and 50 feet wide with exterior walls of pressed brown brick. The roof plan is stacked in three levels which gives the building's roof an interesting appearance. The heavy terra cotta tile covering the roof is lighter in tone than the walls. Further details of the building include walls of plaster/ a wainscoting of terrazzo which is created by setting chips of marble randomly in cement and then polishing; woodwork of hand-finished heart of pine and walnut; and windows near the ceiling made of glue glass -- a process of putting glue on the pane of glass and then drying the glue to create a design.

The ticket office was located in the center of the building and today contains the original cabinets and desk. Since this building was constructed during a time of racial segregation, there was a waiting room on the left for colored passengers and a separate waiting room for white ladies. Each waiting room had its own restroom; a grand total of eleven toilets served the structure.

The railroad depot has changed little since its completion on 1916. The depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in West Jefferson County in 1973. In 1985 the depot was renovated and now houses the Bessemer Hall of History Museum.

Year photo was taken: 1950

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