National Register of Historic Places

Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel

Kelso, San Bernardino County, California
Listed
August 1, 2001
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
01000760

About this property

The Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel or Kelso Depot, now also the Mojave National Preserve Visitors Center, is located in the Mojave Desert within the National Park Service Mojave National Preserve, on Kelso Cima Road at the junction of Kelbaker Road in Kelso, California, between Baker and Interstate 15 to the north and Interstate 40 to the south. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and along with the adjacent ghost town of Kelso, was declared a United States Historic District in 2000. The district was increased twice: in 2019 and 2025. As of 2025, the Kelso Depot Visitor Center is closed for renovation.

Location

Kelso, San Bernardino County, California
35.01221, -115.65322

Categories

ARCHITECTURECOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTTRANSPORTATIONENGINEERINGINDUSTRY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel listed on the National Register?

Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 2001.

What type of historic resource is Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel?

Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel?

The period of significance for Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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