Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex Historic District facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex in Fort Madison, Iowa. Currently home to the North Lee County Historical society.
Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	902 Ave. H Fort Madison, Iowa
Area	less than one acre
Built	1910, 1926, 1934
Built by	Allen Smith
Architect	C.F. Morse J.M. Dunham
Architectural style	Mission/Spanish Revival
MPS	Advent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No.	92000100
Added to NRHP	March 5, 1992

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex is a special historic area in Fort Madison, Iowa. It's recognized across the country for its important history. This complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. When it was listed, it included three important buildings. These buildings were constructed over 24 years. They show the popular building styles of their time. Today, the complex is home to a local history museum. Parts of it are also being fixed up to become a passenger train station again.

What is the Santa Fe Complex?

This historic area includes two main buildings. One is a former passenger depot built in 1910. The other is a former freight station built in 1934. Both were built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. These buildings replaced an older wooden station from 1888.

Fort Madison was a key spot for Santa Fe trains. It was a place where train crews changed. The city also had a repair shop for locomotives. Because of this, a better train station was needed. This was the only stop the Santa Fe railroad made in Iowa. The complex also includes the Railway Express Agency's (REA) Express Office. This office was finished in 1922. The station stopped being used in 1968. A new Amtrak station replaced it.

Building Styles and Design

Postcard image of the depot around 1941

The passenger depot and the Railway Express Office were designed in the Mission Revival style. This style often uses features like stucco, red tile roofs, and arches. However, different people designed these two buildings.

The Passenger Depot Design

C.F. Morse, the Chief Engineer for Santa Fe, designed the depot. It was built to handle both passengers and freight. The depot is a single-story building. It is about 202 feet long and 26 feet wide. Its outside walls are made of pressed brick. The window sills and other stone parts are made from local Appanoose stone. The building sits on a strong concrete foundation. It has a red tile hipped roof.

You can see three curved roof dormers on the north side. There are two more on the south side. Each dormer has the Santa Fe railroad's special symbol. In the middle of the building, there is a three-story tower. In 1945, the inside of the depot was updated. It was changed to the Art Deco style. During this update, the women's waiting room was removed.

The Railway Express Office Design

J. M. Dunham designed the Railway Express Office. He was the architect for the REA in St. Louis. This office is next to the depot. It also has pressed brick walls, stone trim, a concrete foundation, and a red tile roof. It used to have copper flashing on the chimney. There was also a copper dormer with louvers on the east and west sides. These dormers were taken off during a renovation in 1990.

The Santa Fe Freight Office Design

The Santa Fe Freight Office was built west of the Railway Express Office. Its construction took place between 1931 and 1934. This building is a two-story brick structure. It looks more practical than the Mission Revival style buildings. The Santa Fe logo, made of stone, is on the upper corners of its north and south sides. A fire in the late 1960s or early 1970s destroyed a wooden part of the building. This wooden part was used for loading and unloading freight. Since the depot was a crew change spot, conductors and brakemen would shower and sleep in this building.

After the Santa Fe Era

In 1968, the Santa Fe railroad closed its depot in Fort Madison. They sold the entire complex to the City of Fort Madison for just $1. The railroad took most of the furniture with them. In 1972, the city leased the buildings to the North Lee County Historical Society (NLCHS). The society uses them as a local history museum. The NLCHS is also in charge of keeping the three buildings in good shape. A Santa Fe caboose from 1954 is on display at the property. Steam Locomotive 2913 (from 1944) is located a bit further east.

Restoring the Station

Since 2006, many groups have worked together to restore the old Santa Fe station. These groups include the City of Fort Madison, BNSF Railway, Amtrak, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. The goal is to create an Amtrak waiting room and ticket office. The museum space will also remain. Metzger Johnson Architects helped design this four-part project.

The first part of the project was finished in 2011. It involved raising the buildings by 5 feet. This put them on new foundations above the expected 500-year flood elevation. This was important because the complex is near the Mississippi River and can flood. The second part raised, leveled, and paved the parking lot. The fourth part was completed at the same time as phase two in 2012. It renovated the insides of the buildings for Amtrak and the museum. The third part is still to be completed. It will build a concrete platform and a canopy for train passengers. The whole project is expected to cost about $3.2 million. The city received money from different grants. This included $1.5 million from a federal program. Another $1.13 million came from an Iowa state program called I-Jobs. This program helps update Iowa's infrastructure and create jobs.

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Station

The former Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) Fort Madison station is just north of the Santa Fe complex. However, it is not part of this historic district. This station was built in 1898. It now houses the North Lee County Historical Society Transportation Museum. The station was affected by flooding in 2019. This area was not part of the project to raise the Santa Fe station's foundation. The single track here is owned by the BNSF Railway. It is part of the "K Line."