Savannah Union Station facts for kids
The Savannah Union Station was a major train station in Savannah, Georgia. It was located at 419 to 435 West Broad Street. Today, this spot is known as 435 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. This station served trains from the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, and the Southern Railway. A "union station" usually means a station that all train companies in a city use. However, the Central of Georgia and the Savannah and Atlanta Railway used other stations in Savannah.
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Cool Building Design
A designer named Frank Pierce Milburn from Columbia, South Carolina created the station. It was finished in 1902 and cost about $150,000. The building looked like a mix of Spanish Renaissance and Elizabethan styles.
The most special part of the station was its large, round main waiting room. This room was 80 feet wide. At the time, laws in the South meant there were separate waiting areas for different groups of people. So, there was a special waiting room for African-American travelers.
The outside walls were made of special pressed bricks. They also had fancy granite and terra cotta decorations. The building even had two tall towers.
A Busy Hub for Savannah
Many people arrived in Savannah by train at this station. They brought lots of business to West Broad Street. This led to new theaters, bars, and stores opening in the area. For many years, the Union Station and the streets around it became a very important place for Black Savannah. It was a center for both business and culture.
In August 1962, the last passenger trains moved to a new station. This new station was on the edge of Savannah and is still used by Amtrak today. Just one year later, in 1963, the Union Station building was torn down. This was done to make space for a new highway, Interstate 16.
Famous Trains That Stopped Here
Many well-known trains made stops at the Savannah Union Station. These trains connected Savannah to big cities in the North and other parts of Florida.
| Train Company | Train Name | Northern Stop | Southern Stop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad | Champion | New York, New York | St. Petersburg, Florida and Miami, Florida |
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad | Everglades | Washington, D.C. | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad | Havana Special | New York, New York | Tampa, Florida and Miami, Florida |
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad | Palmetto (ACL train) | New York, New York | End of the line |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad | Palmland | New York, New York | Tampa, Florida and Miami, Florida |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad | Silver Meteor | New York, New York | Miami, Florida |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad | Sunland | Washington, D.C. and Portsmouth, Virginia | Tampa, Florida |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad | Tidewater | Portsmouth, Virginia | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Southern Railway | Skyland Special | Asheville, North Carolina | Jacksonville, Florida |
What's There Now
Today, a gas station is located near where the Union Station once stood.
The Savannah Visitor Information Center is also nearby. It is in the old Central of Georgia Depot and Trainshed building.
Images for kids
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Exterior view of Union Station, 1904
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