Barstow Harvey House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barstow, CA
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The depot in 2006
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| Other names | Barstow Harvey House Harvey House Rail Depot |
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| Location | 685 North 1st Avenue Barstow, California United States |
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| Coordinates | 34°54′17″N 117°01′29″W / 34.90472°N 117.02472°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | City of Barstow/BNSF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | BNSF Southern Transcon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 1 side platform (others out of service) |
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| Tracks | Only 1 passing siding and 1 through track remaining | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |  Amtrak Thruway: 10 |
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| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Station code | Amtrak: BAR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | February 22, 1911 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (FY2019) | 3,112 (Amtrak) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Harvey House Railroad Depot
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| Area | 1.1 acres (0.4 ha) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Architect | Francis W. Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Architectural style | Santa Fe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 75000458 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Significant dates | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 1975 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Barstow Harvey House is a really old and important building in Barstow, California. People also call it the Harvey House Railroad Depot or just Barstow station. It was first built in 1911 and was known as Casa del Desierto.
This building used to be a special hotel called a Harvey House and a train station for the Santa Fe Railroad. Today, it's still an Amtrak train station. It also holds city offices, a visitor center, and two cool museums.
Contents
History of the Barstow Harvey House
The Casa del Desierto station and hotel was built in 1911. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway company built it. It replaced an older station from 1885 that had burned down in 1908.
Building Style and Design
The building mixes different styles, like Spanish Renaissance and Classical Revival architecture. It even has a bit of a Moorish look. It's made of concrete with red bricks and light-colored artificial stone.
Big archways and columns line the front of the building. These provide shade from the hot desert sun. The roof is covered with red clay tiles. Towers stand at the corners of the building. Other towers in the middle, facing the tracks, have pointed roofs or painted domes.
A famous architect named Francis W. Wilson designed this building. He also designed other important hotels for the Santa Fe and Fred Harvey companies. These included the Fray Marcos hotel in Williams, Arizona and El Garces in Needles.
A Special Place in History
This historic building is one of the best old depot-hotels left in California. It looks very grand in the Mojave Desert, next to the Mojave River. In the 1950s, the Barstow Harvey House was listed in The Green Book. This guide helped African-American travelers find friendly places to stay and eat.
The Santa Fe company closed the station in 1973. The Casa del Desierto was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It was also named a California Historical Landmark in 1976.
Restoration and Modern Use
The building was empty and falling apart for a while. Then, in 1990, the City of Barstow bought it. It was badly damaged in a 1992 earthquake. After that, it was restored and repaired for over $8 million.
Now, many city offices are inside the building. The Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center is also there. You can also visit two museums: the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum.
Amtrak plans to make the train platform easier to use for everyone by 2026.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Barstow Harvey para niños
