Del Monte station

Last updated

Del Monte
Del Monte Depot.jpg
Del Monte station around 1900
General information
LocationDel Monte Avenue
Del Monte, Monterey, California, US
Coordinates 36°36′01″N121°52′29″W / 36.60027°N 121.87468°W / 36.60027; -121.87468
Line(s) Monterey Branch
Platforms1 side platform
Tracks1
Construction
ArchitectArthur Brown Sr.
Architectural style Queen Anne
History
Opened1880
ClosedApril 30, 1971 (1971-04-30)
Rebuilt1924
Services
Preceding station Southern Pacific Railroad Following station
Monterey
Terminus
Del Monte Seaside

Del Monte station was a passenger railroad depot for Del Monte, Monterey, California. The station was named after the former resort Hotel Del Monte, now the Naval Postgraduate School. The station was completed in 1880 on Del Monte Avenue, next to the hotel. Operating under the Southern Pacific Railroad, the station was in use until the cancellation of the Del Monte train route on April 30, 1971, when Amtrak took control of passenger rail services across the United States.

Contents

History

Del Monte station around 1891 Station at Del Monte.jpg
Del Monte station around 1891

Upon the construction of the Hotel Del Monte in 1880, designed by architect Arthur Brown Sr., a modest station was erected 0.25 miles (0.40 km) north of the hotel grounds, between the Monterey Bay and Del Monte Avenue. The initial stop in Monterey for travelers journeying by train from San Francisco was the Del Monte station. Only guests of the hotel disembarked at Del Monte; Monterey station was the primary Monterey stop. [1] [2] [ unreliable source ]

Resembling the hotel's Queen Anne-style design, the station featured lattice work and a wooden-framed arch-covered walkway. Hotel guests could arrive at the Del Monte train station and walk or drive to the hotel. Del Monte station only served passengers; it was the only station on the line without freight facilities [1] [3]

On April 30, 1891, during his tour of the United States, President Benjamin Harrison arrived via the Presidential train at the Del Monte station when staying at the hotel. [4] [5]

On September 27, 1924, the Hotel Del Monte was destroyed by fire. [6] It was rebuilt in 1926 in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture style. As a result a second Del Monte passenger station was rebuilt to replicate the new architectural style. The station consisted of an open-air passenger shelter with Spanish arches on all sides, and a terra cotta tile roof. The redesigned Del Monte experienced a brief period of prosperity. However, during World War II, the property was acquired for military purposes, culminating in its purchase alongside adjacent land by the Naval Postgraduate School. This marked the conclusion of the railroad hotel era, though the station remained in use. [1]

The last passenger service to the station was the Del Monte , which made its last trips on April 30, 1971. [1] [7] Del Monte station and other stations on the line were demolished afterward. [7] All that remains is the foundation of the depot, marked by a historical plaque. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">17-Mile Drive</span> Scenic road

17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilbert Stanley Underwood</span> American architect

Gilbert Stanley Underwood was an American architect best known for his National Park lodges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean Revival architecture</span> Design style during the 20th century

Mediterranean Revival is an architectural style introduced in the United States, Canada, and certain other countries in the 19th century. It incorporated references from Spanish Renaissance, Spanish Colonial, Italian Renaissance, French Colonial, Beaux-Arts, Moorish architecture, and Venetian Gothic architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose Diridon station</span> Transit hub in San Jose, California, U.S.

San Jose Diridon station is the central passenger rail depot for San Jose, California. It also serves as a major intermodal transit center for Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley. The station is named after former Santa Clara County Supervisor Rod Diridon Sr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Fe Depot (San Diego)</span> Main railroad station for San Diego

Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, California, is a union station built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to replace the small Victorian-style structure erected in 1887 for the California Southern Railroad Company. The Spanish Colonial Revival style station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a San Diego Historic Landmark. Its architecture, particularly the signature twin domes, is often echoed in the design of modern buildings in Downtown San Diego.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">16th Street station (Oakland)</span> Former train station in the Prescott neighborhood of Oakland, California

16th Street station is a former Southern Pacific Railroad station in the Prescott neighborhood of Oakland, California, United States. The Beaux-Arts building was designed by architect Jarvis Hunt, a preeminent railroad station architect, and opened in 1912. The station has not been served by trains since 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palo Alto station</span> Train station in Palo Alto, California, U.S.

Palo Alto station is an intermodal transit center in Palo Alto, California. It is served by Caltrain regional rail service, SamTrans and Santa Clara VTA local bus service, Dumbarton Express regional bus service, the Stanford University Marguerite Shuttle, and several local shuttle services. Palo Alto is the second-busiest Caltrain station after San Francisco, averaging 7,764 weekday boardings by a 2018 count. The Caltrain station has two side platforms serving the two tracks of the Peninsula Subdivision and a nearby bus transfer plaza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Mateo station</span> Train station in San Mateo, California, U.S.

San Mateo station is the northernmost of the three Caltrain stations in San Mateo, California. It is in downtown San Mateo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Carlos station</span> Train station in San Carlos, California, U.S.

San Carlos is a Caltrain commuter rail station in San Carlos, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilroy station</span> Train station in Gilroy, California, U.S.

Gilroy station is a Caltrain station located in Gilroy, California, United States. It is the southernmost terminus of the Caltrain system, and is only served during weekday rush hours in the peak direction, with trains going toward San Francisco in the morning and returning southbound in the evening. The station building was constructed by the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1918 and restored in 1998. Future plans call for extended Amtrak Capitol Corridor service, as well as California High-Speed Rail trains, to also stop at Gilroy. The station was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019 as Gilroy Southern Pacific Railroad Depot.

<i>Del Monte</i> (train) Former Southern Pacific passenger train

The Del Monte was a passenger train operated by the Southern Pacific Railroad between San Francisco and Monterey, California. It ran from 1889 to 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salinas station</span> Train and bus stop in Central California

Salinas station, also known as the Salinas Intermodal Transportation Center, is an intermodal transit center in downtown Salinas, California, United States. As a transit hub, the facility is a passenger rail station and bus station.

Del Monte is a district of Monterey, California. It was formerly an independent unincorporated community in Monterey County. It is located in the east part of Monterey, at an elevation of 16 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Del Monte</span> Former hotel; current site of the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School

The Hotel Del Monte was a large resort hotel in Monterey, California, from its opening in 1880 until 1942. It was one of the finest luxury hotels in North America. During World War II, it closed and the building was leased to the United States Navy. It first was used by the Navy as a school where enlisted men spent the second, third, and fourth months of an 11-month course being trained as electronic technicians. Later the Hotel Del Monte became the Naval Postgraduate School. Today, the building is named Herrmann Hall. It contains school administrative offices and the Navy Gateway Inns and Suites, a hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Third and Townsend Depot</span> Former Southern Pacific terminus, San Francisco

The Third and Townsend Depot was the main train station in the city of San Francisco for much of the first three quarters of the 20th century. The station at Third Street and Townsend Street served as the northern terminus for Southern Pacific's Peninsula Commute line between San Francisco and San Jose and long-distance trains between San Francisco and Los Angeles via the Southern Pacific's Coast Line. For service for destinations to the north, such as Seattle, and destinations to the east, such as Chicago, passengers generally needed to travel to Oakland, initially on ferries to Oakland Long Wharf, and later on buses to 16th Street Station. It was demolished in the 1970s and replaced by the Caltrain commuter station a block away at Fourth and King Streets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey station</span> Closed rail station in Monterey, California, United States

Monterey station was a train station in Monterey, California located close to Fisherman's Wharf. Originally served by the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad, the line was purchased by Southern Pacific on September 29, 1879. Southern Pacific constructed a new station building in 1921. Train service ended with the cancellation of the Del Monte after April 30, 1971, when Amtrak took over passenger rail services in the United States.

Pajaro/Watsonville is a proposed train station that will serve both Pajaro and Watsonville, California. The station is expected to open after track improvements in the area and service commences to Salinas as part of the Monterey County Rail Extension. It will be located in Watsonville Junction near the corner of Salinas Road and Lewis Road, adjacent to the former Southern Pacific Railroad depot and current Union Pacific Railroad office. The station will eventually serve Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and Coast Starlight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey Branch Line</span>

The Monterey Branch Line is a railway line located in Monterey County, California. It runs 16 miles (26 km) between Castroville, where it connects to the Union Pacific Coast Line, and Monterey, formerly running as far as Pacific Grove. It is roughly paralleled by California State Route 1 and is active to Sand City as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. John's Chapel, Del Monte</span> Episcopal Church in California

St. John's Chapel, Del Monte is a parish of the Diocese of El Camino Real Episcopal Church in Monterey, California, founded in 1891. Intended for guests at the Hotel Del Monte, the property was donated by railroad tycoon Charles Crocker. St. John's Chapel is an example of an Episcopal church designed by architect Ernest Coxhead, with his shingle style architecture. The Chapel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 21, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monterey County Rail Extension</span>

The Monterey County Rail Extension is a planned commuter rail extension that would bring Caltrain passenger service south of its existing Gilroy, California terminus to Salinas in Monterey County, using the existing Coast Line owned by Union Pacific (UPRR). Implementation of the rail extension will occur over three phases, starting from Salinas and moving north. When construction is complete, there will be four trains operated over the extended line per weekday: two northbound trains that depart from Salinas and travel to San Francisco in the morning, and two southbound trains that return to Salinas in the afternoon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Monterey Peninsula Light Rail Transit Project Monterey County, California" (PDF). Transportation Agency for Monterey County. November 2010. pp. 14–15, 22–23, 26, 41, 50. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  2. Depots, Monterey, California: City of Monterey via The Historical Marker Database
  3. Chiang, Connie Y. (November 2010). Shaping the shoreline: fisheries and tourism on the Monterey coast (PDF). Seattle, Washington: University of Washington Press. pp. 22, 80. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  4. Speeches of Benjamin Harrison, twenty-third President of the United States: a complete collection of his public addresses from February, 1888, to February, 1892. New York: United States Book Company. 1892. p. 379. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  5. "Down The Coast. The President's Trip to Monterey". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco, California. April 30, 1891. p. 12. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  6. "Fire Razes Del Monte Hotel". The Californian. Salinas, California. September 27, 1924. p. 121. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Schwieterman, Joseph P. (November 2001). When the railroad leaves town: American communities in the age of rail line abandonment. Truman State University Press. pp. 55–59. Retrieved April 10, 2024.

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Del Monte station at Wikimedia Commons