Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Passenger Depot-Dows facts for kids

Dows
Former Rock Island Line passenger station
The station in August 2007.
Location	200 Railroad Street, Dows, Iowa 50071
Platforms	1
History
Opened	1896
Services
Preceding station   Rock Island Line   Following station Galt toward Watertown Watertown – Cedar Rapids Popejoy toward Cedar Rapids Rowan toward Estherville Estherville – Iowa Falls Popejoy toward Iowa Falls
Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Passenger Depot-Dows
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Iowa Show map of Iowa Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	200 Railroad St. Dows, Iowa
Area	less than one acre
Built	1896
Architectural style	Romanesque Revival
MPS	Advent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS
NRHP reference No.	92001744
Added to NRHP	January 7, 1993

The Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Passenger Depot-Dows, also known as the Dows Rock Island Depot, is a historic building in Dows, Iowa. It was built in 1896 and was once a very busy place. This depot served as a station for both passengers and freight. Today, it is a special museum and a welcome center for visitors.

The Dows Rock Island Depot

The Dows Rock Island Depot is an important part of Iowa's history. It was the very first railway depot built in Wright County. This building shows us what train travel was like a long time ago.

A Journey Through Time

The depot was first built for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway. It was designed in a style called Romanesque Revival. This style was inspired by famous architect Henry Hobson Richardson. It made the building look strong and grand.

Later, the depot became part of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. It kept serving as a working train station until 1980. That's a really long time for a building to be in use!

From Station to Museum

In 1988, the Dows Historical Society bought the old depot. They worked hard to restore it and bring it back to life. Now, it's not just an old building. It's a welcome center for people visiting Dows. It's also a cool railroad museum. You can learn all about trains and the history of the area there.

A National Treasure

Because of its history and special design, the Dows Rock Island Depot was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This means it's recognized as an important historic site in the United States.