Ann Arbor station (Michigan Central Railroad)

Last updated
Ann Arbor
MichiganCentralDepotAnnArborMI.JPG
General information
Location401 Depot Street, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Michigan 48104
Former services
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station
Dexter
toward Chicago
Michigan Central Railroad
Main Line
 Ypsilanti
toward Buffalo
Michigan Central Railroad Depot
Location401 Depot St., Ann Arbor, Michigan
Coordinates 42°17′14″N83°44′32″W / 42.28722°N 83.74222°W / 42.28722; -83.74222 (Michigan Central Railroad Depot)
Arealess than one acre
Built1886 (1886)
Built byGearing and Sons
Architect Spier & Rohns, Frederick Spier
Architectural style Richardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No. 75000963 [1]
Added to NRHPMarch 10, 1975

The Ann Arbor station is a former Michigan Central Railroad station located at 401 Depot Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was converted into a restaurant, the Gandy Dancer, in 1970, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Michigan Central Railroad Depot in 1975. [1]

Contents

History

President Grover Cleveland at the Ann Arbor station in 1892, with a crowd that included Mayor William Doty and University President James B. Angell Grover Cleveland at Michigan Central Railroad Station, Ann Arbor, 1892.jpg
President Grover Cleveland at the Ann Arbor station in 1892, with a crowd that included Mayor William Doty and University President James B. Angell

The Michigan Central Railroad was constructed through Ann Arbor in 1839, and quickly became the center of travel and shipping for Ann Arbor. The line reached Chicago by 1852. [2]

By the late 1880s, the railroad was replacing depots at a number of stations along its lines. Each depot was of a different design, and for the Ann Arbor station, the railroad selected Frederick Spier of the Detroit firm Spier & Rohns as the architect. The station was built by Gearing and Sons, also of Detroit, and completed in 1886. [3] Two other small buildings, a railway express office and a baggage station, were constructed nearby. [4]

Crowd at Ann Arbor train station sending off 1914 Michigan Wolverines football team for October 31, 1914 game against Harvard Crowd at Ann Arbor train station sending off football team, 1914.png
Crowd at Ann Arbor train station sending off 1914 Michigan Wolverines football team for October 31, 1914 game against Harvard

The depot was often used, with 13 Detroit-to-Chicago runs per day in 1915, plus additional shorter local runs. Famous personalities passing through included Teddy Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, William Jennings Bryan, Winston Churchill, and in 1960 John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon. Noteworthy passenger trains were the Wolverine Chicago-Detroit-New York via Southwest Ontario, the Chicago Mercury and the Twilight Limited (latter two, Chicago-Detroit). [5]

However, the rise of the automobile led to the decline of passenger trains, which accelerated in the 1950s. By the 1960s, passenger service had slowed to a trickle, and in 1970 the railroad sold the station to restaurateur Chuck Muer, who converted the station into a restaurant, the Gandy Dancer. [3] In 1976, the restaurant was expanded, enclosing the space between the main depot and the former baggage station. [4]

Description

The Michigan Central Railroad Depot is a Richardsonian Romanesque structure built solely of rock-faced masonry. [6] The stones were quarried from Four Mile Lake, located between Chelsea and Dexter. [3] The architectural features of the building, such as arches and lintels are emphasized by changes in color and texture in the stone. The building has a high gable roof with two dormers. The eastern portion of the building has large arched windows, and the western portion has double-hung windows with small circular ones above. The main entrance is through a large round-topped arch; the doorway had been modernized. [6]

The interior of the original depot featured an elaborate ticket booth, a ceiling and trim made of red oak, French tile floors, stained glass windows, and a large terra cotta fireplace. [4] The only alteration of the original space is the addition of an interior balcony. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Central Railroad</span> US railroad established 1846

The Michigan Central Railroad was originally chartered in 1832 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in the United States and the province of Ontario in Canada. After about 1867 the railroad was controlled by the New York Central Railroad, which later became part of Penn Central and then Conrail. After the 1998 Conrail breakup, Norfolk Southern Railway now owns much of the former Michigan Central trackage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan Central Station</span> Former railroad station in Detroit, Michigan

Michigan Central Station is the historic former main intercity passenger rail station in Detroit, Michigan. Built for the Michigan Central Railroad, it replaced the original depot in downtown Detroit, which was shuttered after a major fire on December 26, 1913, forcing the still unfinished station into early service. Formally dedicated on January 4, 1914, the station remained open for business until the cessation of Amtrak service on January 6, 1988. The station building consists of a train depot and an office tower with thirteen stories, two mezzanine levels, and a roof height of 230 feet. The Beaux-Arts style architecture was designed by architects who had previously worked together on Grand Central Terminal in New York, and it was the tallest rail station in the world at the time of its construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durand Union Station</span> Train station in Durand, Michigan, USA

Durand Union Station is a historic train station in Durand, Michigan. The station, which now serves Amtrak Blue Water trains, was originally a busy Grand Trunk Western Railroad and Ann Arbor Railroad hub, as well as a local office for Grand Trunk Western, from its construction in 1903 until 1974. It is currently owned by the city of Durand and leased by Durand Union Station, Inc. a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, restoration, and maintenance of the building and its surrounding property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor station</span> Train station in Michigan

Ann Arbor station is a train station in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States that is served by Amtrak's Wolverine, which runs three times daily in each direction between Chicago, Illinois and Pontiac, Michigan, via Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dowagiac station</span> Railway station in Dowagiac, Michigan, U.S.

Dowagiac is a train station in Dowagiac, Michigan, served by Amtrak, the United States' railroad passenger system. The station was built by the Michigan Central Railroad in 1902, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union Depot (Lansing, Michigan)</span>

The Union Depot is a former train station, located at 637 E. Michigan Avenue in Lansing, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. Despite the union name, Grand Trunk Western trains stopped at a different station in Lansing 1.5 miles away.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson station (Michigan)</span>

Jackson station is a historic Amtrak station in Jackson, Michigan, United States. It is served by three daily Wolverine trains between Chicago and Pontiac and a single daily Amtrak Thruway bus between Toledo, Detroit, Jackson, and East Lansing. The station was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

The Michigan Central Railroad Depot may refer to the following former and active train stations previously used by the Michigan Central Railroad, some listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adams station (New York Central Railroad)</span>

Adams is a former train station at 10 Pleasant Street in Adams, Massachusetts. Built in 1899, it served as the town's principal rail station on the North Adams Branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad until the mid-20th century. The surviving buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as the Pittsfield & North Adams Passenger Station and Baggage & Express House. The former station is currently the home of a sports bar and restaurant.

Spier, Rohns & Gehrke was a noted Detroit, Michigan architectural firm operated by Frederick H. Spier and William C. Rohns, best remembered for designs of churches and railroad stations. These were frequently executed in the Richardson Romanesque style. F.H. Spier, W.C. Rohns and Hans Gehrke were authors of the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, tallest building in the city at the time of construction (1895). Hans Gehrke's well known structures include the Fire Department Headquarters on Larned Street in Detroit, and residence of Robert C. Traub in Arden Park residential district of Detroit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Clemens station</span> United States historic place

Mount Clemens station is a historic railroad depot located at 198 Grand Street in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Thomas Edison learned telegraphy at this station in his youth. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, Mount Clemens Station and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973. It is now operated as the Michigan Transit Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ironwood station</span> United States historic place

The Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Depot is a railroad station located between Suffolk and Lowell Streets in Ironwood, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Commercial Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Chelsea Commercial Historic District is a historic district located along both sides of Main Street from Orchard to North Street in Chelsea, Michigan; the district also includes the adjacent 100 blocks of Jackson, East Middle, and West Middle Streets, as well as structures on Park, East, and Orchard Streets. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lansing station (Canadian National Railway)</span>

The Grand Trunk Western station was a historic railroad station in Lansing, Michigan. The station was listed as a Michigan State Historic Site in 1978, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harbor Springs station</span> United States historic place

Harbor Springs is a depot located at 111 West Bay Street in Harbor Springs, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 as the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Harbor Springs Depot. As of 2016, the building houses the Depot Club and Restaurant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlevoix station (Michigan)</span> United States historic place

The Chicago and West Michigan Railroad Charlevoix Station is a railroad depot located on Chicago Avenue in Charlevoix, Michigan. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muskegon station</span> United States historic place

The Union Depot is a railway station located at 610 Western Avenue in Muskegon, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It is now the Muskegon County Convention & Visitor's Bureau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlotte station (Michigan Central Railroad)</span>

Charlotte station is a former railroad depot located at 430 North Cochran Avenue in Charlotte, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 as Michigan Central Railroad Charlotte Depot. It has been refurbished as a restaurant, and now houses Don Tequilla's Mexican Grill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saline station</span> United States historic place

The Saline station, also known as the Detroit, Hillsdale and Indiana Railroad-Saline Depot, is a former railroad depot located at 402 North Ann Arbor Street in Saline, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The building now houses the Saline Depot Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Arbor Railway Howell Depot</span> United States historic place

The Ann Arbor Railway Howell Depot is a railroad depot located at 128 Wetmore Street in Howell, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The depot is currently used as the Howell Depot Museum.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ↑ Ren Farley. "Ann Arbor Depot, Michigan Central Railroad Station". Detroit1701. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Grace Shackman (May 1991). "The Michigan Central depot". Ann Arbor Observer.
  4. 1 2 3 Ryan Stanton (February 15, 2015). "Retrospective: How Ann Arbor lost its historic train depot and why some want it back". Ann Arbor News.
  5. ↑ New York Central Timetable, July 15, 1956, Tables 1, 2, 8, 16
  6. 1 2 3 Charles W. Lockwood (July 10, 1974), NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM: Gandy Dancer
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.