Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot
Encyclopedia
The Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot is a historic railway station in the village of Elizabeth, Illinois
, USA. It was built in 1877–78 and like many rural stations along the Chicago Great Western Railroad it was cast in Stick style. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
in 1996.
Chicago Great Western Railroad company bought the Minnesota Northwestern company.
buildings built in Stick style. Through the years, some of the depot's original architectural details were lost.
Elizabeth, Illinois
Elizabeth is a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 761 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Elizabeth is located at ....
, USA. It was built in 1877–78 and like many rural stations along the Chicago Great Western Railroad it was cast in Stick style. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1996.
History
The Elizabeth, Illinois Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot was built in 1877–78 by the Minnesota Northwestern Railway Company. In January 1892, A.B. Stickney'sAlpheus Beede Stickney
Alpheus Beede "A.B." Stickney was the first president of Chicago Great Western Railway, serving in that position from 1884 to 1909.- Youth and education :...
Chicago Great Western Railroad company bought the Minnesota Northwestern company.
Architecture
The design of the depot in Elizabeth is similar to the design of many of the rural stations built during the 1880s and 1890s along the Chicago Great Western Railroad. Many of these stations, including the Elizabeth depot, were small rectangular, side-gabledGable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
buildings built in Stick style. Through the years, some of the depot's original architectural details were lost.
Museum
Today the depot building is operated as a railroad museum. Located in a mixed commercial district, the area that was once the station's stockyard is now a lumber company, but the "Commercial Hotel", an 1889 hotel that served railroad patrons, across the street still stands. The depot was restored by the Elizabeth Historical Society and is meant to become an important repository of information about the Chicago Great Western Railroad.Historic significance
The arrival of the depot in Elizabeth coincided with a record growth spurt between 1880–1900. The population of Elizabeth rose from 507 to 659 during those two decades and by the 1910s unofficial numbers estimated the population at close to 1,000. The station and the railroad industry in Elizabeth heralded a new era in the village. On February 16, 1996 the Chicago Great Western Railroad Station in Elizabeth, Illinois was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.External links
- Elizabeth Historical Society
- Property Information Report: Chicago Great Western Depot, Illinois Historic Preservation AgencyIllinois Historic Preservation AgencyThe Illinois Historic Preservation Agency is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is tasked with the duty of maintaining most State-owned historic sites within Illinois, and maximizing their educational and recreational value to visitors....