Lake Wales station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Depot
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 325 South Scenic Highway Lake Wales, Florida |
|---|---|
| Built | 1928 |
| Architect | R.W. Burrows Construction Company |
| Architectural style | Mediterranean Revival |
| MPS | Lake Wales MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001277 |
| Added to NRHP | August 31, 1990 |
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station was once a busy train station in Lake Wales, Florida. It belonged to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad company. Because of its special history, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 31, 1990. Today, this old train station is home to the Lake Wales History Museum.
Contents
A Historic Train Station
This station was built in 1928 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The R.W. Burrows Construction Company helped build it. It cost about $51,000 to complete. The new station was built to replace an older one. Its location was chosen to help reduce traffic in the downtown area of Lake Wales.
From Passengers to Freight
At first, the station served passengers traveling by train. However, passenger train service to Lake Wales stopped in 1954. By the 1930s, most of the cargo handled here was freight. Freight means goods or products carried by train. The station continued to handle freight until 1974. After that, freight service moved to a different station. Trains no longer stopped at this Lake Wales depot.
A New Life as a Museum
In 1974, people started working to save the empty building. The Bicentennial Commission led these efforts. They wanted to turn the old station into a museum. It would also be a cultural arts center for the people of Lake Wales.
In 1976, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station opened its doors again. It was now called the Lake Wales Depot Museum. Today, it is known as the Lake Wales History Museum. The museum is run by the Lake Wales History Museum, Inc. The City of Lake Wales also helps support it. One popular exhibit you can see there is a cool model railroad layout.
Building Style and Design
This building is a single-story structure made of masonry. It shows off the Mediterranean Revival Style. This style was very popular in Florida during the 1920s. The building was made from hollow tiles. Its outside walls are covered with smooth stucco. The roof is a hip roof with a special barrel tile surface. It also has boxed eaves.
A brick chimney with an arched top sticks up from the middle of the roof. Cross-gable extensions come out from the east and west sides. These extensions have curved parapet ends. The east side extension has a round arch entrance. This entrance has a fanlight window above it. It leads into the waiting room. The west side extension has two round-arch windows.
The outside of the building still looks mostly the same as it did when it was new. The only change was adding a freight room in 1938. Some small changes were made inside when it became a museum in the 1970s. You can still see the original ticket window on the east wall of the passenger waiting room. The freight room in the back has changed very little. It still has its original support columns and exposed ceiling beams. The old plank flooring is also still there.
