Berea Union Depot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Berea
Location	30 Depot Street Berea, Ohio 44017
Coordinates	41°22′52″N 81°51′16″W / 41.3810°N 81.8545°W / 41.3810; -81.8545
Operated by	Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway (1876 – 1889) Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway (1876 – 1914) Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway (1889 – 1930) New York Central (1914 – 1954)
Tracks	5 (current)
Other information
Website	https://www.bereadepot.com
History
Opened	1876
Closed	1954
Former services
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Olmsted Falls toward Chicago Main Line Linndale toward New York Terminus Old Main Line West Park toward Nottingham West View toward St. Louis Big Four Route Main Line Linndale toward Cleveland West View toward Cincinnati Cincinnati – Cleveland
Berea Union Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Ohio Show map of Ohio Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	30 Depot St., Berea, Ohio
Area	less than one acre
Built	1876
Architectural style	Gothic
NRHP reference No.	80002976
Added to NRHP	November 21, 1980

The Berea Union Depot is a historic train station located in Berea, Ohio. It was built a long time ago, in 1876. People in the town really wanted a new place for passengers and goods to get on and off trains. When it opened, a newspaper called it "the finest facility outside the big cities."

This station was special because it was a "union station." This meant it served different railway companies at the same time. These included the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. Later, both became part of the New York Central Railroad. The depot stopped being a train station in 1954. But don't worry, it was saved! In 1980, it was fixed up and became a restaurant and a place for people to gather.

What Makes the Berea Depot Special?

The Berea Union Depot is unique because of how it was built. It's made from sandstone and has parts made of slate. The building style is called Gothic Revival, with some ideas from Victorian times.

Unusual Building Materials

Using sandstone and this style was not common in northeastern Ohio. Most train stations there were made of brick. Many others were even built from wood. This makes the Berea Depot stand out.

Berea's Stone Economy

The station was very important to Berea's economy. In the late 1800s, Berea was famous for its huge sandstone quarries. These quarries were the biggest in the world! Because of this, the town was very busy. In the 1880s, about 18 trains stopped at the station every single day. Imagine how much activity there was!

A Historic Landmark

One hundred years after it was built, the Berea Union Depot became a recognized historic site. In November 1980, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important places in the United States.

Why Was It Added?

The depot qualified for this list for two main reasons. First, it played a big part in the local history of Berea. Second, its architecture is very special and important from a historical point of view. It's a great example of how buildings were designed back then.

Images for kids

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  Inside the Berea Union Depot

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  Platform sign originally from Cleveland Union Terminal

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  An Ohio Historical Marker for the Berea Union Depot