Kirkwood station (Missouri) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kirkwood, MO
The Kirkwood Amtrak station in 2012
Location	110 West Argonne Drive Kirkwood, MO 63122
Coordinates	38°34′51″N 90°24′24″W / 38.5809°N 90.4068°W / 38.5809; -90.4068
Owned by	City of Kirkwood, Missouri
Platforms	1 side platform, 1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Station code	KWD
History
Opened	1893
Traffic
Passengers (2018)	55,213  5.8%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Washington toward Kansas City Missouri River Runner St. Louis Terminus
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Jefferson City toward Kansas City National Limited St. Louis–Union Station toward New York or Washington, D.C. Preceding station Missouri Pacific Railroad Following station Barrett toward Kansas City Main Line Webster Groves toward St. Louis
Kirkwood Missouri Pacific Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Kirkwood Amtrak Station as seen from the South Kirkwood Road grade crossing
Location in Missouri Show map of Missouri Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	W. Argonne Dr. at Kirkwood Rd., Kirkwood, Missouri, U.S.
Area	less than one acre
Built	1893
Architect	Donovan, Douglas
Architectural style	Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.	85001476
Added to NRHP	July 5, 1985

Kirkwood, also called the Kirkwood Missouri Pacific Depot, is a suburban Amtrak train station in Kirkwood, Missouri, United States. Located in downtown Kirkwood, it is one of three Amtrak stations in the St. Louis metropolitan area; the other two are the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center in downtown St. Louis, and the Alton station. The station is run entirely by volunteers. It is the third-busiest Amtrak station in Missouri.

History

In 1851, land where the current station is located (Argonne Avenue and Kirkwood Road) was obtained from Owen Collins by the Pacific Railroad for a right of way. The track for the Pacific Railroad to Kirkwood was completed in 1853. The first train arrived May 11, 1853, for an auction sale of lots, making Kirkwood the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi. The town was named for the chief engineer for the railroad, James P. Kirkwood.

In 1863, a frame depot was built. Here members of the first school board met to draft the charter of the Kirkwood School District, which was granted in 1865. In 1893, Douglas Donovan was hired by the Missouri Pacific Railroad to construct the current stone station to replace the wooden station. The current station remains today as an outstanding example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture.

Commuter trains ran to and from Kirkwood until 1961. A train turn-table was located near the present Farmers Market for the engines to be turned for the return trip to St. Louis and for the helper engines, which were used to help freight trains manage the "Kirkwood Hill," prior to the arrival of diesel engines. Though originally deemed ineligible for such status, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1985.

One of the ways the children of Kirkwood would have some fun was to hang out near the station. They would help turn the engines on the turntable and catch some rides back and forth to the station. (Info. from Nancy Donovan Robinson, daughter of the architect.)