Hampton Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hampton Depot
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 Location in Georgia (U.S. state)
Location in the United States
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| Location | E. Main St., Hampton, Georgia |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Augustus Schwaab |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000730 |
| Added to NRHP | September 10, 1979 |
The Hampton Depot is a historic train station located in Hampton, Georgia, in Henry County, Georgia. It was built in 1881 and is an important part of the town's history. This building is so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
Contents
History of the Hampton Depot
The town of Hampton was the only place in the county with a train connection for many years, from 1846 to 1882. The first train station in Hampton was a small wooden building.
Building a New Station
By 1873, the old wooden train station was too small and not very safe. The people in charge of the Central Railroad and Banking Company decided they needed a bigger and stronger building. They also built a special platform next to the old station for loading cotton.
The old wooden depot was later moved to Griffin, Georgia. In 1880, plans were made for a new brick building in Hampton. This new building would be 35 feet wide and 170 feet long. It was designed to have plenty of space for handling business and comfortable waiting rooms for passengers. The Hampton Depot was finished in 1881.
A Unique Train Station
The Hampton Depot was special because it had a large warehouse for cotton in the same building as the passenger waiting area. In many other cities, the cotton market was in a separate building. This made the Hampton Depot very convenient for both travelers and businesses.
Passenger Service Over the Years
In 1940, four trains stopped at Hampton each day. However, three of these trains would only stop if someone waved a flag to signal them. By 1950, only two trains stopped daily, and one of those was a "flag stop." By 1955, only one train stopped per day, and it was always a flag stop. Passenger train service in Hampton officially ended in 1957.
What the Depot is Today
In 1975, the Hampton Depot was given to the City of Hampton. The city decided to renovate the passenger area of the building. They turned it into the city hall and police department. It also housed the city council chambers and the recorder's court.
The land where the depot stands is still owned by the railroad company. Today, the building is known as the "Glenn Mitchell Administration and Community Building." Glenn Mitchell was a mayor of Hampton for many years.
The rooms on the park side of the depot now house the Main Street Director's office. There is also a museum inside the depot. This museum displays items that have been given or loaned by different residents of Hampton. It helps tell the story of the town's past.
