Cincinnati, Richmond, & Muncie Depot (Muncie, Indiana)

Muncie, IN
The depot as seen in 2007
General information
Location700 East Wysor Street
Muncie, Indiana
History
Opened1901
ClosedApril 27, 1986
Rebuilt1974
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Marion
toward Chicago
Cardinal Richmond
toward New York
Mountaineer Richmond
toward Norfolk
Preceding station Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Following station
Jonesboro
toward Hammond
Chicago, Cincinnati & Louisville Railroad Losantville
toward Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Richmond, & Muncie Depot
Map
Coordinates40°11′51″N 85°22′45″W / 40.1976°N 85.3791°W / 40.1976; -85.3791
ArchitectWilliam S. Kaufman; Locke & Hill
Architectural styleRomanesque
NRHP reference No.97000304
Added to NRHPApril 14, 1997[1]

The Cincinnati, Richmond & Muncie Depot (also known as the Wysor Street Depot) is a restored train station in Muncie, Indiana, United States. Built in 1901, it was acquired by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1910. The station was used for passenger train service throughout the 20th century and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997. It is currently used as a visitor center and office for the adjacent Cardinal Greenway.

History

The station was built in 1901 by the Cincinnati, Richmond and Muncie Railroad (CR&M), which was acquired by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1910. Into the early 1930s, an unnamed C&O night train from Chicago to Cincinnati stopped at the station.[2] However, by 1938, that service was shortened to a day train from Hammond to Cincinnati. For the concluding Hammond - Chicago segment, the C&O arranged with the Monon Railroad to accept C&O tickets for that segment of the trip. C&O ceded the responsibility of carrying the sleeping cars from Chicago to Cincinnati to the New York Central.[3]

The C&O ended passenger service to Muncie in 1949, but the station was used for freight service until 1950, when the Muncie Gear Works became its new tenant.

In 1973, Chessie System (which eventually became CSX Transportation) restored the station for passenger service so it could be used by Amtrak on the James Whitcomb Riley and George Washington routes (which eventually became the Cardinal). The station was again removed from passenger service when the Cardinal was rerouted after April 27, 1986.[4][5] The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1997.[1] Restoration of the station began in 2003 and involved replacing the original Ludowici tiles with new ones produced by the same manufacturer.[6][7] The restoration was completed and the building reopened to the public on June 5, 2005.[8][9]

The building is now used as a visitor center and office for the Cardinal Greenway recreation trail, which uses the former C&O right-of-way. On display inside are photos and artifacts from the region's railroad history as well as photographs of the surrounding communities. Although the former C&O track has since been removed, a second parallel track, now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway, remains in operation; it is separated from the Cardinal Greenway trail by a safety fence.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Table 41". Official Guide of the Railways. 69 (9). National Railway Publication Company. February 1932.
  3. ^ "Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, Table 7". Official Guide of the Railways. 71 (3). National Railway Publication Company. August 1938.
  4. ^ Francisco, Brian (April 28, 1986). "Amtrak, Muncie Bid a Mutual Farewell". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. p. 1. Retrieved November 22, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  5. ^ Giese, Michael (2002). "Wysor Street Depot History". Cardinal Greenway. Archived from the original on August 9, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  6. ^ "Depot restoration". Cardinal Greenway. 2002. Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  7. ^ Slabaugh, Seth (18 December 2003). "Depot re-opening schedule depends on weather". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana.
  8. ^ "Cardinal Greenway". Indiana Trails.org. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  9. ^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2015-08-01. Note: This includes Craig Leonard (October 1995). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Cincinnati, Richmond, & Muncie Depot" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-08-01. and Accompanying photographs.