History

The Texas and Pacific Railway commissioned the station as a replacement for an earlier terminal, opening it on October 25, 1931, amid the deepening Great Depression. The railroad had chosen a particularly American moment for Zigzag Moderne Art Deco, a style that celebrated machine-age optimism in geometric ornament just as the economy was contracting. Passengers boarding trains for New Orleans aboard the Louisiana Eagle, or transferring to CB&Q, Missouri Pacific, and Katy services, passed through a lobby of marble, nickel, and brass that read as confident even as the Depression hollowed out American commerce.

At the height of American passenger rail, the station served trains of multiple railroads. The Texas & Pacific ran the Louisiana Eagle from New Orleans to Fort Worth until 1963. Decline came when Interstate 30 was elevated through the Lancaster Avenue corridor in 1958, separating the terminal from downtown Fort Worth. The railroad vacated in 1967 when passenger service ended. Dispatching offices remained until November 1, 1981; the Department of Housing and Urban Development became the exclusive tenant from the early 1980s until the late 1990s, occupying only the upper floors and leaving the historic passenger hall virtually untouched.

The passenger area was restored at a cost of $1.4 million in 1999. Commuter rail service resumed on December 3, 2001, with the TRE’s extension into Fort Worth. The historic diner on the ground floor became the T&P Tavern. Upper floors were later converted to condominiums. Trinity Metro plans to rebuild the station platform to accommodate a future TEXRail expansion.