Hopkinsville station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hopkinsville L & N Railroad Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Kentucky Show map of Kentucky Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Built	1892
NRHP reference No.	75000745
Added to NRHP	August 1, 1975

The L & N Railroad Depot in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, is a very old train station. It's an important building listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad built this station way back in 1892.

A Look at the Hopkinsville Train Station

People in Hopkinsville wanted a train station for a long time. The first try was in 1832 to connect to Eddyville, Kentucky. Finally, in 1868, Hopkinsville got its first train station. It was run by the Evansville, Henderson, & Nashville Railroad. Later, in 1879, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad took over the station.

What the Station Looked Like Inside

The Hopkinsville depot is a single-story building. It has a roof made of slate. Inside, there were six main rooms.

• A Ladies Waiting room, which was closest to the street.
• A General Waiting Room for everyone.
• A Colored Waiting Room.
• A baggage room, the furthest from the street.
• A ticket office, which connected to all three waiting rooms.
• A ladies' restroom.

Right outside the station, there were big buildings called warehouses. These were used to store goods like tobacco that were being shipped by train.

A Busy Stop for Travelers

The Hopkinsville depot was a popular place for train travelers to stop. It was the only Louisville & Nashville station between Evansville, Indiana and Nashville, Tennessee where passengers could get a refreshment. This made Hopkinsville a well-known stop.

Travelers often asked conductors when they would reach Hopkinsville. They wanted to "hop off and get a drink" or a snack. This is how Hopkinsville earned the nickname "Hop town."

The last long-distance train to stop here was the Louisville and Nashville's Georgian. That train stopped running in 1968.

The Depot Today

The Hopkinsville L & N Railroad Depot was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1975. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.

Today, the building is used by the Pennyrile Arts Council. This group started in 1977. They work to bring art and culture to the Hopkinsville area. Even though trains don't stop at the depot anymore, CSX still runs trains on the tracks right next to the old station.