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Chicago & Northwestern Passenger Depot and Baggage Room-Carroll facts for kids
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Chicago & Northwestern Passenger Depot and Baggage Room-Carroll
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The depot (left) and American Express building (right) in 1995
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Junction of N. West and W. 5th Sts., Carroll, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architect | Charles Sumner Frost |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| MPS | Advent & Development of Railroads in Iowa MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001302 |
| Added to NRHP | September 6, 1990 |
The Chicago & Northwestern Passenger Depot and Baggage Room-Carroll, often called the Carroll Depot, is a historic building in Carroll, Iowa. It was once a busy train station for the Chicago and North Western Railway (CNW). This building shows what a train station looked like during the "Golden Age of Railroads."
Contents
A Look Back: The Carroll Depot's Story
The Carroll Depot was built in 1896. It replaced an older, smaller station that had been damaged by two fires. The new, larger station was needed because more people were using the trains. The CNW had built new train lines from Carroll in 1877 and 1880. This meant more passengers and more business.
Who Designed It?
A famous architect named Charles Sumner Frost designed this station. He was from Chicago. He designed it in the Romanesque Revival style. This style often uses round arches and strong, heavy stone. Frost designed many other train stations for the CNW. He created at least 15 stations in Iowa and Nebraska. He also designed 14 more in the Chicago area.
What Was Inside?
The building has two main parts: the passenger depot and a separate baggage room. A small open area, called a breezeway, connects them. The baggage room was where travelers' luggage was stored. Across the street, the Carroll Express Building was also built. It was used for other railroad activities. A separate wooden building for freight (goods) had been built earlier, in 1888.
From Busy Station to Historic Landmark
Trains stopped carrying passengers to this station in 1959. After that, the railroad used the building for storage for many years. But people in Carroll wanted to save this important piece of history.
Saving the Depot
In 1990, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is a list of places important to American history. Being on this list helped efforts to restore the building. Work began to fix up the outside of the building. This was finished in 2004. Then, the inside of the building was restored.
What It Is Today
After all the repairs were done, the building got a new purpose. Today, it is home to the local chamber of commerce. This means it's still a busy place, helping businesses in Carroll. It's a great example of how old buildings can be given new life!