A brick and stone depot built in 1898 for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, now serving as private offices in Iowa City.
At a glance
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Passenger Station is a historic depot in Iowa City, Iowa, completed in 1898 for passenger use. It was the second passenger depot built in the city. The building combines Richardsonian Romanesque and Victorian Romanesque architectural styles and sits adjacent to the Iowa Interstate Railroad lines.
History
The first depot in Iowa City was built by the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad in 1855. That company was a predecessor of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, which erected the current building in 1898. Construction was overseen by W.K. McFarlin, the railroad’s superintendent of maintenance and construction, through the efforts of Harry Breene, the local Rock Island agent.
The depot served passengers on the Corn Belt Rocket and Rocky Mountain Rocket lines. In the trains’ final year there, the route was shortened to Chicago to Council Bluffs. Passenger operations ceased in 1970, though the railroad continued to maintain offices in the building.
In 1982, two years after the Rock Island ceased operations, a couple of attorneys acquired the depot for their offices. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places the same year.
What you see
The station combines the Richardsonian Romanesque and Victorian Romanesque styles. Its design followed similar depots in Ottawa, Illinois, and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The building stands beside active Iowa Interstate Railroad lines. Occasional excursion trains have stopped at the former depot.
Cultural significance
The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognized in 1982 for its architectural and transportation history in Iowa City.
Key facts
- Built: 1898
- Location: Iowa City, Iowa, United States
- Coordinates: 41.6536, -91.5336
- National Register of Historic Places: listed 1982
- Style: Richardsonian Romanesque, Victorian Romanesque
Practical information & getting there
The building is privately owned and used as law offices. It is not open to the public. The depot stands adjacent to the Iowa Interstate Railroad lines; you can view the exterior from nearby streets in Iowa City.
Sources & resources
Find it on the map
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