Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Freight House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stillwater
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| Former Milwaukee Road passenger rail station | |||||||||||
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Freight House from the southwest
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| Location | 233–335 Water Street, Stillwater, Minnesota 55082 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
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Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Freight House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 233–335 Water Street, Stillwater, Minnesota | ||||||||||
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) | ||||||||||
| Built | 1883 | ||||||||||
| Architectural style | Vernacular | ||||||||||
| Part of | Stillwater Commercial Historic District (ID92000288) | ||||||||||
| MPS | Washington County MRA (AD) | ||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 77000773 | ||||||||||
| Significant dates | |||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | July 13, 1977 | ||||||||||
| Designated CP | March 26, 1992 | ||||||||||
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Freight House is a historic building in Stillwater, Minnesota. It was built in 1883. This building used to be a busy train station for both people and goods. It was part of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway, also known as the Milwaukee Road.
This old station is important because it served Stillwater for a very long time. Almost everything that came into or left the city by train passed through here. It also had important offices for sending messages by telegraph and for shipping packages. The building is special because it was one of the few that handled both passengers and freight. It's also known for its strong wooden construction inside. Today, the station is no longer used for trains. Instead, it is home to the Freight House Restaurant.
Contents
History of the Stillwater Freight House
Building the Railroad Connection
The story of the freight house begins with a railway company called the Stillwater and Hastings Railway. This company started in 1880. Its goal was to connect Stillwater to another city called Hastings, Minnesota.
However, the Stillwater and Hastings Railway only built about 5 miles (8 km) of track. Then, in 1882, a bigger company, the Milwaukee Road, bought it. The Milwaukee Road finished building the railway line.
Stillwater's Busy Trade Center
In the 1880s, Stillwater was a very busy place for trade. Many goods and people passed through the city. Miners and trappers came from the north. Farmers and lumbermen came from the west.
The Milwaukee Road built the freight house in 1883. Soon, it was handling more than 70 train cars every single day! This shows how important the station was for the city's business.
Strong Building Construction
The freight house was built to be very strong and last a long time. Its foundation was made of solid limestone. This foundation was 2 feet (61 cm) thick. The walls were 18 inches (46 cm) thick and stood 30 feet (9.1 m) high.
The floorboards were also very sturdy. They were 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. The heavy ceiling had strong wooden supports called trusses. These trusses held up a full roof made of slate.
Later Years and New Life
The freight house kept operating until 1970. That's when the Milwaukee Road closed it down. In 1977, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of important places in the United States. It was the very first building in Stillwater to get this special recognition.
Later, in 1992, much of downtown Stillwater was also added to the National Register. The Freight House was included as an important part of this historic area. Today, it serves the community as a restaurant.
