Redlands Santa Fe Depot District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Redlands Santa Fe Depot District
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by Stuart Ave., N. 5th St., Redlands Blvd., Eureka St. and the SFRR tracks, Redlands, California |
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| Area | 20 acres (8.1 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001535 |
| Added to NRHP | October 29, 1991 |
The Redlands Santa Fe Depot District is a special historical area in downtown Redlands. It's built around the old Santa Fe Railway train station. This station first opened in 1888.
The train station you see today was built between 1909 and 1910. It replaced the first station and has a grand, old-fashioned style called Classical Revival. Passenger trains stopped using this station in 1938.
The buildings around the station show how important the city's economy was. Many of them were part of the orange packing industry. Redlands was once a huge center for packing oranges. This district still has some of the biggest groups of old orange packing houses in the Inland Empire area. Other buildings were used by groups that helped orange growers.
The district also includes three buildings from Redlands' historic Chinatown. This community was very active from the 1880s to the 1920s. Chinese immigrants first came to Redlands to help build the railroad.
Contents
Discovering the Redlands Depot District
The Redlands Santa Fe Depot District is a historic area in Redlands, California. It shows what the city was like long ago. The district is famous for its old train station and the buildings around it.
The Historic Train Station
The original Santa Fe Railway train station opened in 1888. It was a busy place where people and goods arrived and departed. The current station building is much larger and more decorative. It was built between 1909 and 1910.
A Grand Design
The station's style is called Classical Revival. This means it looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings. It has big columns and a formal design. This grand style showed how important the railway was.
End of Passenger Service
Even though it was a beautiful building, passenger trains stopped using the station in 1938. After that, it was mainly used for freight. Freight means goods and materials, not people.
Oranges and the Economy
The Redlands area was famous for its orange groves. The Santa Fe Depot District was key to this industry. Many buildings here were used for packing and shipping oranges.
Packing Houses
Several large buildings in the district are old orange packing houses. Here, oranges were cleaned, sorted, and packed into boxes. They were then loaded onto trains and sent all over the country. These packing houses are a big part of Redlands' history. They show how important oranges were to the city's growth.
Citrus Industry Groups
Other buildings in the district were used by groups that supported the citrus industry. These groups helped farmers grow and sell their oranges. They worked together to make sure the orange business was successful.
Redlands' Chinatown History
The district also has buildings from Redlands' historic Chinatown. Chinese immigrants came to Redlands in the 1880s. They played a big part in building the railroads in California.
A Thriving Community
Chinatown was a lively community in Redlands. It had shops, homes, and places for people to gather. This community was active from the 1880s through the 1920s. It was an important part of Redlands' diverse history.
Protecting History: National Recognition
The Redlands Santa Fe Depot District is recognized as an important historical site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1991. This means it's officially recognized for its historical value.
It is also listed as a California Points of Historical Interest. This shows its importance to the history of California. These listings help protect the district for future generations.
The Depot's Future
In September 2017, a new company bought the depot. This company has connections to Esri, a big mapping software company. Esri is also helping to fund a new train station nearby.
Because of this new ownership, there are plans to restore the old depot. It might become part of the new Redlands–Downtown Arrow rail station. This would bring train service back to the area.
