Plant City Union Depot facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Plant City Union Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Florida Show map of Florida Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	E. North Drane St., Plant City, Florida
Area	less than one acre
Built	1908–1909
Architect	J.F. Leitner
Architectural style	French Style
NRHP reference No.	75000558
Added to NRHP	April 14, 1975

The Plant City Union Depot is a really old train station in Plant City, Florida, Florida, United States. It was built in 1909 and was super important for Plant City's growth. The city itself is named after Henry Plant. He brought railway lines to help transport things better in Central and Western Florida. J.F. Leitner designed this cool building.

The depot is located at 102 N. Palmer Street, close to Northeast Drane Street. It was built by two big railroad companies: the Plant Railroad System and the Florida Navigation and Rail Co. These later became the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad (ACL) and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad (SAL). After these two companies joined together, their tracks became known as the “A Line” and “S Line.” The ACL tracks ran east and west. The SAL tracks ran north and south. They even had a special dock for shipping goods.

The Plant City Union Depot was busy until 1971. In 1974, the city almost tore it down! But the Plant City Arts Council stepped in and saved it. On April 14, 1975, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special historic building protected by the U.S. Department of Interior.

In September 2013, the Plant City Union Depot became the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum. It's now open for everyone to visit. It was renamed to honor Robert W. Willaford for his amazing help with the project and his love for trains.

A Look Back: The Depot's History

When the Plant City Union Depot was open, it was super busy! About 44 passenger trains passed through every day. Many important people traveled on these trains. Even soldiers used this line to go on their missions.

This station was one of the biggest places for moving goods by train. It was the second busiest transportation spot in Florida, right after Jacksonville. Its location was perfect for this important role. Farmers used the station to ship huge amounts of strawberries. In 1926, they shipped almost 4 million quarts! What's cool is that farmers could even pay their buyers right at the station.

Over time, trucks became more popular for moving goods. This made the train station less busy. Eventually, it stopped operating. Four years later, the railroad land was given to the city. It was then called a historic monument and looked after by the Plant City Art Council.

Saving and Restoring the Station

The Plant City Union Depot has been fixed up many times. This happened after it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many grants (special money given for projects) helped with the work.

One big change happened in April 1987. A two-story tower was moved from the station to across the tracks. There was an idea to add a restaurant, but it didn't happen. Some rooms were fixed up to be art classrooms for the community. The art council helped raise money for these projects.

In 1988, workers fixed the outside of the building. They also made some small changes inside. More money was given in 1997 to add bathrooms and air conditioning. The station had a major restoration in 2014, and it looks great today!

Why "Union" and the New Name?

The station got the name "union" because two competing railroad companies joined together. These were the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air Line. They merged to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1967.

The station reopened as a museum. It was officially renamed during a special event called the first Railfest in February 2014. Now, it's proudly known as the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum.

The Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum

Robert W. Willaford is a retired train engineer. He's known in Plant City as the local railroad expert. He has a huge passion for trains! For many years, he even had a train engine and a caboose (the last car on a freight train) on display in his yard.

City Commissioner Mike Sparkman contacted him. He asked Willaford to donate some of his train items. This was the start of all the changes and restorations you see today. Willaford didn't even realize how much his help would mean to the community! He donated about 28 railroad items. These were worth around $212,500! He had collected them for almost 43 years. He found and saved these items from scrap yards in places like Miami, Georgia, Baltimore, Ohio, and Vermont.

Because of his amazing contribution, Willaford and the city agreed to rename the new museum after him. This happened in February 2014.

Cool New Features at the Museum

On November 14, 2013, the caboose and the train engine were moved to the museum site. Before they arrived, C.J. Bridges Railroad Contractor installed tracks for the caboose. The City Commissioner helped supervise all these changes.

The two-story building now has an elevator. This makes it easy for visitors with disabilities to get around. A train platform has also been built. It's a great place to display some of the cool items that Willaford donated.

There's even a 24/7 viewing platform! Train fans can use it to watch the few trains that still pass through Plant City. The brickwork on the building has been fixed, and a new roof was added. The viewing platform was inspired by the Folkston Funnel in Georgia. That's another train station with a similar viewing area.

The Plant City depot will now have a scanner. This scanner will record the conversations between trains, just like at the Folkston Funnel. Plant City's depot is even bigger than Georgia's! It has a 14-foot tower and a lower deck platform.

Fun Events at the Museum

Since the museum opened, it has hosted many events for the public. These events are all about trains! Each year, the museum organizes a two-day Railfest. This event is free, fun for families, and open to all train lovers.

During Railfest, you can watch train-themed movies. You also get free entry to the museum. There are scavenger hunts, tours of the caboose, and even miniature train rides! The activities change each year, so there's always something new. The museum also holds fundraising events throughout the year. The money collected helps maintain the collection and pay the staff. In 2019, Railfest was on Saturday, April 13.