Rock Island Lines Passenger Station (Rock Island, Illinois) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rock Island
|
||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Former Rock Island Line passenger rail station | ||||||||||||||||
Rock Island station in May 2011
|
||||||||||||||||
| Location | 3029 Fifth Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois 61244 | |||||||||||||||
| Construction | ||||||||||||||||
| Structure type | at-grade | |||||||||||||||
| History | ||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1854 | |||||||||||||||
| Closed | May 31, 1978 | |||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1901 | |||||||||||||||
| Services | ||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
Rock Island Lines Passenger Station
|
||||||||||||||||
 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
|
||||||||||||||||
| Location | 3029 5th Ave. Rock Island, Illinois |
|||||||||||||||
| Area | less than one acre | |||||||||||||||
| Built | 1901 | |||||||||||||||
| Built by | John Volk | |||||||||||||||
| Architect | Frost & Granger | |||||||||||||||
| Architectural style | Late 19th and early 20th Century Revivals | |||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 82002596 | |||||||||||||||
| Significant dates | ||||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | June 3, 1982 | |||||||||||||||
The Rock Island Lines Passenger Station, also known as Abbey Station, is a historic building in Rock Island, Illinois, USA. It used to be a busy train station for passengers. The station stopped operating in 1980. Because of its importance, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was also named a Rock Island landmark in 1987.
Contents
History of the Rock Island Train Station
How the Railroad Came to Rock Island
In 1845, leaders in Rock Island started planning to build a railroad. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad finally reached the city from Chicago on February 22, 1854. This was a big moment because it was the first time a railroad had reached the Mississippi River.
To go further west, trains needed to cross the river. So, the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi River was built. It connected Rock Island with Davenport, Iowa. This bridge opened on April 21, 1856. Rock Island then became a very important place for moving people, goods, and materials.
Building the New Station in 1901
The building you see today was built in 1901. It was the third passenger station for Rock Island. Charles S. Frost from Frost & Granger of Chicago designed the building. He was a famous architect who designed over 200 train stations. He worked for many different railroad companies.
The Rock Island contractor John Volk built the station for $75,000. For many years, the station was very busy. It had up to 32 trains arriving and leaving every day. There were also 21 ticket agents working all the time.
Changes and Restoration of the Station
Over time, people started traveling less by train. More people began to use cars and airplanes. The last passenger train left the Rock Island station on May 31, 1978. The station itself closed in April 1980.
The building started to get old and worn down. But in 1994, the city of Rock Island bought the property. In 1996, the city fixed the outside of the building and replaced the clock tower. A freight house, which was built with the same materials, was torn down in 1997. Its bricks and tiles were used to help fix the station.
In 1999, the station was sold to a company called Abbey Station LLC. Today, the building is used as a place for banquets and events. It is the last train station still standing in Rock Island.
