Dowagiac station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dowagiac, MI
Trackside view of Dowagiac's historic former Michigan Central Railroad Depot
Location	200 Depot Drive Dowagiac, MI 49047
Line(s)	Michigan Line
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	Yes; Free
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	DOA
History
Opened	1903
Rebuilt	1995
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	4,975  8.81%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Niles toward Chicago Blue Water Kalamazoo toward Port Huron Wolverine Kalamazoo toward Pontiac
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Niles toward Chicago International Kalamazoo toward Toronto Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station Pokagon toward Chicago Michigan Central Railroad Main Line Decatur toward Buffalo
Michigan Central Railroad Dowagiac Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Dowagiac, Michigan, USA
Built	1903
Built by	M. J. Rogers
Architect	likely Spier and Rohns
Architectural style	Tudor Revival
NRHP reference No.	93001349
Added to NRHP	1993

The Dowagiac train station is located in Dowagiac, Michigan. It is an important stop for Amtrak, which is the main passenger train system in the United States. The station was built a long time ago, in 1902, by the Michigan Central Railroad. Because of its history, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. This means it is a special building worth protecting.

Today, Amtrak's 'Blue Water' and 'Wolverine' trains stop here. In the past, another train called the International Limited also used this station. This train ran from Chicago to Toronto between 1982 and 2004. It was a joint effort between Amtrak and Via Rail, Canada's passenger train system.

History of the Station

The Michigan Central Railroad first laid tracks through Dowagiac in 1848. This allowed trains to carry passengers through the town. An earlier station was built in the 1870s. The station you see today replaced that older building. It is the third train station built by the Michigan Central Railroad in Dowagiac.

The exact architect who designed the station is not fully known. However, it was likely the firm of Spier and Rohns. A contractor named M. J. Rogers from Detroit was hired to manage the building work. The station was finished in 1903. It has been used as a passenger train station ever since. A big project to restore the station happened in 1995. This helped keep the historic building in good condition.

Passenger Depot, Michigan Central Railroad in a 1908 map

What the Station Looks Like

The Dowagiac station is a single-story building made of brick. It has special stone decorations made of limestone. The building's style is called Tudor Revival. This style often looks like old English country homes.

The station actually has two main parts. One part is for passengers, and the other is for baggage. These two parts are connected by a roofed area called a canopy. This canopy is held up by metal columns. The passenger part of the station has a square tower that sticks out from the street side. On the side facing the tracks, there is a round ticket office. You can enter the station through a covered entrance called a port cochere and a glassed-in porch. The roof has small windows called dormers. Rows of square windows are found along the sides of both the passenger and baggage buildings.

• Amtrak – Stations – Dowagiac, MI