Paducah Freight House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway Office and Freight House
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | 300 S. 3rd St., Paducah, Kentucky |
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| Built | 1925 |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003118 |
| Added to NRHP | July 17, 1979 |
The Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway Office and Freight House is a cool old building in Paducah, Kentucky. People often call it the Paducah Freight House. It was once a busy place where trains dropped off and picked up goods. This historic building helped move important items across the country.
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Building the Paducah Freight House
The story of railroads in Paducah began way back in 1852. That's when the first official plan to build a railroad in the city was made. A person named Lloyd Tilghman helped create the first seven miles of track. This track connected Paducah to a place called Florence Station, Kentucky.
The Paducah Freight House itself was built much later, in 1925. It was constructed by the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway. They hoped it would connect with other big railroads, like the Big Four Railroad. Because of these big plans, the building was made much larger than it ended up needing to be. Those extra connections were never built.
What the Freight House Carried
This station was mostly used to move fresh fruits and vegetables. These foods needed to be kept cold. Trains would bring them to the freight house. From there, private companies would pick them up and deliver them to stores.
Changes Over Time
The Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway later joined with another company. This happened in 1957, when it became part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.
In 1974, the Louisville & Nashville Railroad decided to reduce its operations in Paducah. They moved their workers to a different building. The old freight house was then sold in 1976 to a company called Johnston-Backus Brokerage Company.
Years later, in 1993, the owners of Johnston-Backus retired. They sold the building to Charles and Carolyn Simpson. The Simpsons turned the old freight house into an antique mall, giving it a new life!
Design of the Freight House
The Paducah Freight House is a two-story building made of brick. It sits on a strong foundation of limestone. The building has a special look called Tudor style. You can see this in its unique windows and the decorative walls at the ends and on the roof. Different colored bricks are used to highlight the windows and doors, adding to its interesting design.
Paducah Railroad Museum
Right next door to the old freight house, you can find the Paducah Railroad Museum. This museum actually started on the second floor of the freight house! But when the freight house was sold, the museum moved to a new location. It is now located at Washington and 2nd streets in Paducah.
