Joplin Union Depot
The Joplin Union Depot is a historic railroad station located at Joplin, Jasper County, Missouri. The station was served by a number of railroads, two of which were the Kansas City Southern Railway and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The station was completed in July 1911. On November 4, 1969, the last train, the Southern Belle visited the station, ending 58 years of constant service. After train service ended, the station slowly deteriorated.
Designed by the Canadian-born architect Louis Curtiss, the station was featured in the January 1912 edition of Popular Mechanics for its use of mining waste in the concrete.
On March 14, 1973, the station was entered into the National Register of Historic Places. It is currently unoccupied. There are currently plans to restore the depot. There have been many ideas for its use, but none have been made certain. This would tie in with the revitalization of downtown.
On October 20, 2021, the station was listed as a Place In Peril by Missouri Preservation, a statewide organization advocating for the preservation of architectural and historic landmarks.
Joplin Union Depot supporters announced on May 4, 2022, plans for a national marketing effort to find an interested party to restore and use the 110-year-old station.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Union Depot timeline: Not in use since 1969". The Joplin Globe. Joplin, Missouri. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
- ^ Stephen J. Raiche (May 1972). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Joplin Union Depot" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2017-01-01. (includes 2 photographs from 1971)
- ^ "Railroad Station Built of Mine Waste". Popular Mechanics. 17 (1): 23. January 1912. ISSN 0032-4558.
- ^ "JOPLIN UNION DEPOT". Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Buyer sought for historic Union Depot". The Joplin Globe. Joplin, Missouri. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
| Preceding station | Kansas City Southern Railway | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulfton toward Kansas City
|
Main Line | Saginaw toward Port Arthur
| ||
| Preceding station | Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad | Following station | ||
| Dalena toward Junction City
|
Junction City – Joplin | Terminus | ||
